I Write Sins Not Tragedies
by AlphaWriter1
Summary: The fearsome five-some is starting their sophomore year of high school. The girls made their decision about who would get Lucas, and the decision was that Riley won. Maya's got Josh, though, so everyone's happy. Except for Lucas, who never got to voice his opinion. Now, he's sick of doing what he's told and he's fighting for his blonde beauty. (LUCAYA, other pairings to be decided)
1. Catching Up Is Hard to Do

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 1: Catching Up Is Hard To Do**

 _ **A/N: So, about a year or so ago I started a GMW fan fiction called Sugar We're Going Down Swinging but it ended up going nowhere because I didn't have a real plot line planned out when I started. It did, however, get a lot of praise. So, I decided to rewrite the story with a more planned out plot and with a few changes to the original. I hope you guys all like this as much, if not more, than the first one. I just started the original and then got so many ideas that wouldn't fit in with what I started with. So, here's to second chances.**_

* * *

If there was one thing that everybody at Abigail Adams High School could agree on, it was that Maya Hart was a good friend. She would do anything to keep Riley Matthews happy. Maya knew that her childhood had been full of darkness that had the ability to turn her into a bitter and resentful young woman. She was fully aware of the fact that Riley's friendship with her had kept her from turning into that hateful type of person. So, she did everything that she could to repay Riley for her kindness by ensuring that Riley permanently remained happy, living her life in an ignorant state of bliss. That was why Maya did everything that she could to keep Rileytown fully functioning. As long as Riley was shielded from the dangers of the outside world, the light that shone through Maya's darkness would prevail, and Maya would be able to stay the person that she was. The person that she _wanted_ to be.

And everybody at Abigail Adams High School knew those simple facts. That was why, back in the ninth grade, nobody had thought it was strange when Riley had walked into school on the first day of freshman year with Lucas Friar's hand firmly held in her own. Nobody asked any questions, because they had all assumed that "Rucas" they had dubbed their least favorite couple, would get together sooner or later.

The shocking part hadn't been that Riley and Lucas got together. The shocking part had been that Maya had even bothered to fight back, even for a little while, because even she had known that in the end she was going to give in and allow Riley to have her way. Riley always got her way. That was another thing that everybody at Abigail Adams High School knew to be true.

After all, everybody had known about the love triangle that had developed over their middle school years. They all knew about what had happened in Texas and in the following weeks. There wasn't much that the students at John Quincy Adams Middle School didn't know.

Maya had been distressed about Lucas's desire to prove his worth and ride Tombstone the Bull while visiting Texas during the eighth grade. Her passion caused Riley to think about the interactions between her best friend and her crush over the past year. It was then that Riley realized that Maya had a crush on Lucas. She also realized that Maya had been putting aside her own feelings-repressing them, so that Riley could have the guy and be happy. For the first time ever, something was threatening to come between the two best friends in the world.

Her response had been to step aside herself, allowing Maya to have her chance with Lucas. It had started off as a sincere gesture. Riley had had a year to try and test the waters with Lucas. Now it was Maya's turn to see how things went with Lucas. It started off with Lucas getting to have a say in what was going to happen in terms of his own love life. But, things had quickly begun to spiral out of control. Riley's constant pressure for "Lucaya", as the students had dubbed their favorite couple, caused an extreme awkwardness on Maya and Lucas. An awkwardness that was similar to the awkwardness "Rucas" had always had together.

Farkle, seemingly sitting on the sidelines through the whole situation, noticed that Riley wasn't as happy as she claimed to be about "Lucaya". His response was to reveal Riley's hidden feelings on New Year's Eve, forcing the trio to try and figure out what their next step was. After that, Lucas had been placed in the middle and everybody seemed to forget that he had a choice in the matter at all. It became which of the girls was going to decide to step down and which of the girls was going to step up. But, the truth was, everybody knew that Maya was going to step down and allow Riley to step forward eventually. They just hadn't thought it would take the rest of the school year and most of the summer for the girls to make a decision.

Nobody had thought that Lucas and Riley would stay together for longer than a month or two, either. Yet, sophomore year was starting and the couple was still going strong.

Maya, meanwhile, was in a relationship of her own. A relationship with somebody that nobody had ever expected her to be in a relationship with. Maya, as she had always sworn she would, was dating Joshua Matthews, the uncle of Riley Matthews. The origin of their relationship was not common knowledge to the rest of the school's population, but everybody knew that he was three years her senior. Three years, which had seemed like a huge deal when Joshua was in high school and Maya was still in middle school. It still seemed like a drastic difference to some people-in particular, Lucas and Shawn Hunter, Maya's step-father-but really, Maya was soon to be sixteen years old and Joshua was almost nineteen. And as Maya loved to remind everybody: it was only illegal if they were having sex-which they were not.

But, the most important thing here was that everybody knew one thing about Maya Hart, and that one thing was that she was the most loyal friend there was.

That was why Farkle was so confused by the sight that he saw occurring in front of him, in the library, which had always been his sanctuary.

It was, after all, incredibly strange to find Maya Hart sitting in the library, no matter what her surroundings were. While the girl was a straight A student, due to constant pressure from her step-father, she was rarely seen in the library studying. She usually tried to hide the effort that she put into her grades, and most of the time it really was effortless for her to excel in her classes.

Even stranger was the fact Maya was sitting in the library with a jumbo sized bag of Swedish Fish on her lap and a chemistry textbook propped on the table, the edge of the book resting on her lap, a notebook with her swirly handwriting spread out on the table in front of her. Her buttery blonde, soft curls tumbled down her back as she tossed her head back, laughing at something that the boy across from her was saying. And the strangest part of it all was what boy was sitting across from her.

Positioned across from Maya, mouth wide open with a scattered pile of bright red gummy candies surrounding his schoolbooks, was Lucas Friar, the reason for her fit of hysterical laughter.

There was nothing all that horrible about the scene. They weren't doing anything wrong, exactly. But, Farkle had asked Maya what she was doing after school and she'd muttered off some excuse about having to have dinner with Shawn and her mother, before Shawn left for the rest of the week for a business trip. When Riley had asked Lucas if they had any plans for the evening, he had given the same type of excuse that Maya had given.

Of course, Maya's was believable because their gang all knew that Shawn was going to be heading Upstate to take photos for an article he had to write for The New York Times, where he had been hired as a photographer and journalist, giving him a more stable income and job. Lucas's excuse was just as believable because every Wednesday night, Lucas's mother insisted that the two of them have a dinner together without any of his friends coming along.

Apparently his mother had allowed him to skip out on their tradition this week, however, and Shawn had bent his rule about Maya always spending the night hanging out with him before he left for long work trips.

What Farkle couldn't understand was _why?_

If they had wanted to sneak around behind Riley and Josh's backs, they would be somewhere far more entertaining than the library. And if there was something romantic going on between the two of them, the table wouldn't look as though they had been studying for a while before Farkle had stumbled upon the scene.

Besides, everybody knew that Maya was a great friend. She was _loyal._ There was no way that she was cheating on her boyfriend and there was no way that she was seeing her best friend's boyfriend behind her back.

* * *

Lucas Friar wasn't a bad guy. He didn't lie, he didn't disobey the rules, he didn't pressure girls into doing things they weren't comfortable with, he didn't get into random fights with guys who made him angry, he didn't steal, he didn't skip school, and he didn't cheat, whether it was in terms of a relationship or in terms of his school work. He was, as Maya loved to tease him about, a "Mama's Boy". And despite all of Maya's teasing on the subject, he wasn't ashamed of the fact.

He loved his Southern roots and he had always remained true to the values he had learned back in Texas, despite having been in New York for almost four years. He was a country boy and that was all that there was to it. Even with all of Maya's nicknames that were still going strong, even years after Lucas's arrival in New York, he never tried to hide the fact that he was a Texan at heart.

He loved New York, he really did. He loved the friends he had made there and he loved the person he had become-"Lucas the Good", as Maya had dubbed him. But, sometimes he missed all of the wide open spaces out in Texas. He missed how much slower paced everything was than the fast-paced world that was New York City. He missed jumping on his horse to ride after a long day. Yet, he wouldn't give up his home in New York for the world.

So, Lucas Friar was a good guy. Such a good guy that he had allowed two thirteen year old girls to make a very important decision for him. He allowed two of his best friends to choose who his first girlfriend should be. And what he had worked to hide for the year that he had been fulfilling their wish to him, was that he would have picked the girl that stepped aside.

Maya Hart was, without a doubt, Lucas's first love. He had definitely had feelings for Riley. He liked her enough, and maybe, after a year of dating her, he had started to even love her a little bit. But it was nothing like what he felt for Maya. Nothing would ever be like what he felt for Maya.

Nothing else in the world made him feel as proud as he felt whenever she burst out laughing at something that he said. The smile that he got whenever she looked at him was undeniable and impossible to hide. On the rare occasions when he was able to make her blush, he could feel his own cheeks tinting pink. Whenever she touched him, he could feel the sparks flying and all he could imagine were the fireworks that would explode if he ever got to touch her in a more intimate way.

Lucas loved the way that her blonde tumbled down her back, stopping at her hips in a tangle of soft, buttery blonde curls that reminded him of the hot, Texas sun while he worked on his Pappy Joe's ranch. He loved the way that her navy blue eyes sparkled whenever she talked about something that she was passionate about. He loved the two, perfectly carved dimples that settled into her cheeks when she allowed herself to smile-a real smile, that showed she was truly happy. The half little dimples that appeared every time she was slightly amused by a situation or intrigued as to what was to come were a different thing altogether but he loved them all the same.

As the years had progressed, Lucas's feelings had turned lustful towards the tiny blonde as well. While the blonde beauty had barely grown since the seventh grade, standing at five foot two (it was really only five foot one and a half, but Maya always insisted on rounding up), the rest of her had developed enough to earn Maya the title of being one of the most sought after girls in the grade. While she was beautiful, she was sexy as well, with her legs making up the majority of what little height that she had. She had a perfect hour glass figure and a full chest. She was every guy's dream girl and Lucas hated the way that other guys looked at her. He hated the fact that he sometimes caught himself staring at her in similar ways even more.

But it was all wrong, regardless of the fact that he shouldn't be looking at her in such a way and imagining all of the things he would do to her if he could get her alone. There was a more important reason for why he shouldn't be doing that, besides the fact that it was completely immoral and wrong. There were _two_ reasons it mattered so much, to be exact. Riley and Joshua Matthews.

Sweet, innocent and naive Riley who was perfectly content with believing that Lucas had "chosen" her on her his own, rather than the girls having told him that Maya was stepping aside and Riley was going to be dating him. Riley, who was beautiful in her own right and earned her own stares from male students who wanted to do inappropriate things with her. She just wasn't Maya, and that meant that Lucas just couldn't imagine a life with her.

Still, Lucas has agreed to the decision the girls had made and he had been sticking to the decision for over a year at this point. He was just as much to blame as the girls were this point and that meant he was going to have to continue to keep his feelings for Maya a secret. Just like he had from his arrival in New York, up until their trip to Texas during the eighth grade.

* * *

"Knock it off, Huckleberry," Maya giggled.

She knew that she should be stern with him. After all, she was trying to tutor him so that he could bring up his chemistry grade, because, thanks to a certain eighth grade science teacher who had taught them the importance of girls remaining interested in STEM subjects, Maya had pushed herself to show everybody that she was not some dumb blonde, especially after her mother had married Shawn Hunter.

Shawn, despite his own past in school, had pushed Maya to make sure she had near perfect grades. He would have been happy with her passing all of her classes with at least a B, but when she had seen the shock in her teachers's faces when she started to get decent grades, she had pushed herself harder and become a straight A student. She was close to being at the top of her class and she couldn't be any prouder of herself.

Lucas, always getting excellent grades, struggled with chemistry, however. In order to be eligible for a football scholarship at the schools he was hoping to get into, he needed to maintain at least a B average and that meant he needed to bring up his chemistry grade. As a result, he had come to Maya and begged for her to tutor him.

The only problem was that they had to keep it a secret from their friends. Mostly from Riley, who wouldn't understand why he had chosen to ask Maya for help. There was no way he could ask Riley, because she struggled in science just as much as Maya did. Farkle would have been Riley's first choice for Lucas's tutor, but Farkle got easily frustrated when trying to help others, especially Lucas. Maya, surprisingly enough, was an excellent tutor.

"Knock _what_ off?" Lucas asked innocently, shooting her that sheepish grin that he was so famous for. The one that got him out of trouble with anyone and everyone.

"You know what you need to knock off," Maya rolled her eyes. "You need to stop purposefully missing the candy because we're making a mess and getting distracted and-"

"Maya," Lucas cut her off, shooting her a knowing look. "We've been studying for over an hour at this point. My mother pushed back our Wednesday night dinner so that we could study. I have to be home in half an hour. I think we can take five minutes to joke around and call it quits," He rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright," Maya said, shooting her hands up in defense. "We're done here. Enjoy fail," She said, sticking her tongue out at Lucas.

"Really?" Lucas rolled his eyes. "And here I was, about to invite you over for a Friar family dinner," He sighed, shaking his head sadly.

"Is it barbecue night?" Maya asked, immediately raising her head away from her bag to focus her attention on Lucas.

"Would I invite you over on any other night?" Lucas asked her pointedly.

"True," Maya giggled, stuffing her books back into her bag and the bag of candy. "Well, what are we waiting for? It's time for some of Mama Friar's special barbecue chicken!" She cheered, jumping to her feet and swinging her backpack over her shoulders.

Maya was a favorite of Mrs. Friar. Lucas's mother, Rose. Ever since Maya had gone over to make muffins with Lucas for their business project back in the seventh grade, Rose had encouraged Lucas to bring Maya over whenever he pleased. Maya was the first one to have gone over to Lucas's house and she was the first one invited to stay for dinner. When Maya's mother and Shawn had gone on their honeymoon, Rose had even told Katy that Maya was more than welcome to go and stay with Lucas and her while her parents were out of town.

Maya received incredible Christmas presents and birthday presents from Rose Friar, all being deliciously healthy homemade treats that Maya refused to share with anybody except for Lucas. Maya was invited to every family gathering that Lucas was forced to attend. And Maya was the only friend who was allowed to attend the private Friar-family dinners that Lucas and Rose had every Wednesday night.

On the contrary, Rose hated Riley. She wasn't outright mean to the brunette, because she was dating her son, but there was something about her that she just didn't like. Riley knew that Rose had some sort of resentment towards her, and try as hard as she could, she couldn't make Lucas's mother like her even half as much as she loved Maya. Lucas, of course, was oblivious to the entire thing, firmly believing that Rose liked both girls equally, but that Maya was more accepting of his mother's hospitality.

"I said I _was_ going to invite you," Lucas rolled his eyes, walking along with her.

"You and I both know that Rose would uninvite _you_ if she knew that taunted me with her barbecue," Maya responded easily.

"I'm not helping you into the truck," Lucas retaliated, knowing that it was hopeless to try to fight her on her place at his table that evening. His mother was going to be angry if he didn't show up with the blonde and if she knew that Maya had been taunted with the menu for the evening, Lucas was going to be locked up in the shed. Instead, he was going to have to threaten her with the idea of having to climb up into his Ford F250, slightly lifted pick-up truck all on her own.

"That's not very nice, Ranger Rick," Maya pouted. "How would Mama Friar like it if she knew that her Moral Compass wasn't respecting his lady friends and being an absolute little gentleman? Really, Hop-Along, you should think these things through a little better," She smirked.

"If you were wearing a little more clothing I would follow through on that threat just because you called me three different insulting names in a thirty second span," Lucas dead-panned for her.

"I'm wearing plenty of clothing. What's wrong with my outfit?" Maya wondered, self-consciously crossing her arms over her cropped, plain white, swoop neck tee shirt. She had an unbuttoned, loose fitting, black, white and red plaid flannel shirt over it, rolled up to her elbows (the shirt had been Lucas's and she had stolen it back in middle school).

The problem was that she was wearing a dark wash, incredibly short, denim mini skirt that ended just an inch or two below her perky ass. It was tight fitting showing off every curve. Her red and silver, dangling belly button ring was revealed due to the shortness of her shirt and Lucas was sure it was tempting every guy who looked at her. And she was wearing three-inch, black, hidden-wedge Nike sneakers with her outfit.

And then there was her hair.

She was never one to contain her curly mane, and today was no exception. It was loose and wild, carelessly tossed around and falling into her face. It looked sexy as all hell and Lucas wanted nothing more than to push her up against the brick building of the library and make-out with her, running his hands through her locks.

But that was wrong, because he had Riley.

And Maya had Josh.

Which was why he had to fight his urges.

"Nothing…the skirt's just a little short, don't you think?" He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"You always say that about my skirts, Sundance," Maya laughed, acting oblivious to Lucas's slight tension.

Sometimes Lucas wondered if she knew how he really felt, but chose to ignore it for the same reasons he fought so hard to hide his feelings. It was those moments that filled him with a bittersweet feeling as he thought about what he could have had, if things had been just a little different. When he thought about the possibility of Maya loving him back.

But, she was just as loyal as he was and they were both taken by somebody else. Nobody what they felt, the feelings had to be repressed.

* * *

Riley Matthews was perfectly content with her life.

She had the best friend that anybody in the world could ask for. Maya Hart would do anything for her, as long as it kept Riley completely and totally happy.

She had a loving family. Her father thought that she was his perfect little girl and her mother had raised her to be a strong, independent woman who was capable of anything life threw at her. And her little brother idolized her.

She had Farkle, who was the best guy friend that she would ever be able to find. He would do anything to get a smile on her face and he always knew what she was thinking. He would stop at nothing to make her laugh when she was feeling down. And he was the perfect sneak peak into the male mind.

And then there was Lucas, her perfect boyfriend. The boy who treated her like she was an absolute princess. He was loyal, kind, loving and compassionate. He never tried to pressure her, he spoiled her like nobody else ever had before, and he only had eyes for her. Maybe there had been a little issue between herself, Maya and Lucas a few years ago, but all of that was settled now and she had the man of her dreams.

Everything was going perfectly for her and she wouldn't have it any other way. After all, how many others girls could say that their life was exactly as they wanted it to be? That they had everything falling perfectly into place while only being fifteen years old? She knew that she was lucky and she never failed to acknowledge how blessed she was. Still, it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy every second of her happiness.

But, if things were truly going so perfectly for her, why was she sitting alone in her bedroom on a Wednesday night while her phone sat silently on her nightstand, without a single beep to signal a text message, a phone call, a FaceTime call, a Twitter notification, a Snapchat, or an Instagram notification? That didn't happen to _happy_ girls.

She was laying on her stomach, reading _Jane Eyre,_ just for fun, with her knees bent so that her feet dangled in the air. As much as she was enjoying the classic novel, she just wanted her phone to go off to signal that _somebody_ wanted to talk to her.

Still, if the worst thing to happen in her life was to be ignored by her three best friends on a weeknight, she supposed she could take it.

After all, there were far worse things that people had to deal with.

She, on the other hand, had everything going right in her life.

Riley knew that she was attractive. She had perfectly chiseled, just angular enough, features with a perfect ski-slope of a nose and full, pouty red lips.

Her skin was pale and her cheekbones were high and sharp. Her eyes were a deep, dark shade of brown and a perfect almond shape. Her face came to a slight point at her chin and everything was as symmetrical as possible

She was tall, standing at five foot eleven which she thought was the perfect height, since she could still wear a slight heel and allow Lucas to be taller. While sometimes she longed for the curves that Maya had, she was happy with herself.. Her chest was just large enough so that her boobs stuck out farther than her tummy, which was enough for her.

And her hair was her favorite feature. Long, falling to the middle of her back, and thick, she knew she had one of the best heads of hair at Abigail Adams High School. It was a dark, deep shade of black and as sleek and it was shiny. It was feathered perfectly, taking away the wave that she had had when she was younger as the weight of her hair caused it to be perfectly straight. Across her forehead she kept blunt, full bangs just long enough to brush her eyelashes.

She was gorgeous. The type of girl who could be a model. She knew that about herself and she didn't find herself to be vain for knowing that. After all, Maya loved to flaunt her appearance, especially when she could use it to her benefit to get free merchandise or into a place she knew she shouldn't have access to. Why was it wrong for Riley to merely acknowledge that she was a pretty girl?

On top of that, she had a killer sense of fashion and incredible grades. She had a family that was securely placed in the middle class and she had no shame about her financial status. She knew that she would be able to have her pick of colleges when the time came to it and she knew that the rest of her future was set as well.

After all, she had Lucas. As long as she was dating Lucas her future was secure. They would get marry, move to a small town just outside of the city so that they could have a house with lots of land, to keep Lucas happy.

She would become a journalist and Lucas would become a veterinarian. They would have two kids-a boy and a girl. Everything would be perfect.

There was nothing for Riley to worry about. Nothing at all.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride home, Ranger Rick," Maya smiled as they pulled up in front of her apartment building where she lived.

It was far different from the one she had lived in when she was younger. Shawn had always been smart with money and his new job made it even easier for him financially. They now lived in something that was more like a penthouse than an apartment.

She lived on the top floor and there was only one other apartment on the same floor as her, each one pretty much having its own wing. There was a big, open kitchen that Katy Hart loved, with a cut-out in the wall dividing it from the living room, allowing for a little breakfast bar with four high bar stools lined up under neath for the family to eat breakfast at. Off of the living room were four bedrooms, one for Maya, one for her parents, one for Shawn's office and one that had been converted into a walk in closet for Maya, since it was attached to her bedroom via a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. Maya's parents had their own bathroom, due to their room being the master bedroom and there was one other half bath off of the living room.

Maya's favorite part of her bedroom, however, was her turret. It was covered up in cushions and pillows and Shawn had turned the bottom of it into storage for all of her art supplies. It was her favorite place to draw and the light was perfect. Since the building was a pre-war, very historical building it was full of unique little shapes and angles that Maya loved but the turret was her favorite.

It was the nicest place that Maya had ever lived and yet another reason that she felt as though she would always be indebted to Shawn Hunter.

"I wasn't going to let you walk home alone, Maya," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"And unlock _some_ people, I'm only fifteen going on sixteen, instead of sixteen going on seventeen," Maya stuck her tongue out.

"I try to be a nice guy and you insult me because I was held back?" Lucas laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, hop-along, what else were you expecting?" She giggled, opening up her car door. "Could you give me a ride to school tomorrow, by the way? Shawn's gonna be gone early and he doesn't want me to take the subway alone," She asked as she jumped down from the truck.

"Yeah, of course," Lucas nodded. "I'll be here in the morning, anyways," He reminded her quietly.

Maya's cheeks tinted pink as she scanned the area around her.

"I'll have the window unlocked for you in half an hour. Is that good?" She whispered.

"Of course," Lucas responded.

She grinned as she closed the door behind her and headed back into her apartment.

Despite the fact that Maya was more than happy with her new home, she had never gotten over her fears from her former living space. Ever since Maya's dad had appeared in her life during Cory Matthews's forgiveness assignment, she had been terrified of sleeping alone because she was terrified of being left alone by somebody else that she cared about in her life.

As a result, Lucas had started showing up at night and falling asleep with her. It had started off with him just sitting at the foot of her bed until she fell asleep. Then he would leave. But, she started waking up in the middle of the night and having panic attacks at waking up without Lucas there. So, he had started to camp out on her floor. When they moved into the new apartment he had started to sleep in her turret, which was far more comfortable for him but too far away from her to make her feel comfortable.

So, he ended up sleeping in her bed with her. They never did anything, but having his presence there made Maya feel safe. And as long as Maya felt safe, Lucas would keep doing it.

It was just another one of their dirty little secrets.


	2. Break Me Up When September Ends

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 2: Break Me Up, When September Ends**

 _ **A/N: So, after this chapter the story will really get going. This is more disposition. Just a little bit more background on what's been going on in the characters's lives since the season 2 finale. When it comes to season 3, I'm going to take selective scenes to work them in as to be decided because I have a strong feeling that the canon and my story are going to be in two very different directions. As season 3 progresses and the story progresses, you'll see what scenes and aspects of the canon are going to be worked into the story and how. I'm sorry if things seem a little boring with these first three chapters but everything is going to start to pick up in chapter 3.**_

* * *

If there was one person in the world who filled Lucas Friar with terror, it was Shawn Hunter, Maya's step-father.

Lucas believed that if Cory Matthews was an over protective father to Riley, there was not a word to describe Shawn's parenting style. In fact, Shawn was so over protective over Maya that he made Cory look like a passive parent. Despite Shawn's evident knowledge about Lucas's relationship status, it was like he knew about the thoughts coursing through the teenage boy's head. He never actually said anything to Lucas and he treated him with nothing short of kindness, and he constantly stated that he liked Lucas. But, every now and then Lucas would receive a look from Shawn that gave him the impression that Shawn knew about every dirty thought running through Lucas's head.

Still, every morning Lucas had to be confronted with Shawn Hunter because he was always awake by the time Lucas walked out of Maya's bedroom.

They had started off with Lucas sneaking in and out through the window every night and every morning, but that had stopped after Shawn had asked Maya why Lucas never stayed for breakfast in the morning. Nothing ever seemed to get by Shawn when it came to Maya and that meant that he was well aware of every single time Lucas crawled through the window to sleep in Maya's room for the night.

He had never said anything about their sleepovers to anybody else, which both teenagers were grateful for. The only time that he ever mentioned it to Maya was when he thought that they were trying to hide it. So, Lucas would wake up in the morning, take a quick shower and get dressed before entering the kitchen to wait for Maya to finish getting ready and they would have breakfast together. Then, Lucas would leave to go and pick up his truck and then pick up Riley to give her a ride to school.

However, according to Maya, on that particular morning, Shawn would be gone long before the teenagers were awake. So, Lucas had figured he would wake up a little bit early and make breakfast for Maya himself. Not that he was some expert cook, but he was good enough to make an omelet for his best friend and to fry up some bacon.

"You're up early today."

Lucas jumped at the deep, masculine voice coming from the kitchen of Maya's apartment. If the voice wasn't so familiar to him he would have immediately turned on his defensive stance so that he could protect Maya from whoever had broken into her apartment.

"Maya said you'd be gone early. I figured I could make her some breakfast," Lucas said, struggling to keep his voice calm.

"Got a phone call last night-I don't have to be there until tonight, so I figured I'd stick around and make sure she had a proper breakfast," Shawn shook his head. "How do you want your eggs?" he asked.

"However you're making Maya's is good," Lucas shrugged, making his way towards the kitchen, climbing up onto one of the stools.

"Maya awake yet?" Shawn asked.

"She was heading into the shower when I was changing," Lucas nodded.

"And you changed in her closet," Shawn raised an eyebrow at Lucas, shooting him a pointed look.

"Of course-that's where she keeps all my clothes anyways," Lucas chuckled, trying to avoid the discomfort he got whenever Shawn gave him a look like that.

"And you're dating Riley," Shawn reminded him. "Who, by the way, should know about these little overnights eventually. I've kept your secret for you guys because it's not my place to tell anyone, but you guys can't keep this from Riley forever. She's going to find out eventually," Shawn pointed out.

"I know," Lucas sighed. "Maya's just afraid of how she's going to react and we both know that it doesn't look good that we do this every night. Nobody's going to believe that it is what it really is," He pointed out, reaching behind his neck, scratching behind the neckline of his shirt.

"I know," Shawn nodded, turning back towards the stove. "But it's just going to be worse when she finds out the longer you wait."

* * *

Maya Hart loved her closet.

Shawn had extended the closet that already existed in the room to take up the entire back wall of the room. Her shoes were lined up on the floor of the closet, her extensive collection taking up two rows, with her boots in the back and her other wedges and heels lined up front of them. Below the shoes were twelve drawers, filled with her delicates, her socks, and her bathing suits. Above all of the shoes were her clothes, hanging up neatly.

Next to the door when she walked in was a large dresser full of all of her folded up clothes. The dresser was tall on the left and then dipped down into being short and long. On top of the long part was a piece of mirrored glass with all of her perfumes and lotions lined up on top of it. She had purses lined up on hooks next to the dresser and Lucas's dresser was on the side on the other side of the door.

Her vanity was pressed up against the window, with her vintage, Hollywood starlet styled mirror front and center. Hanging on either side of the window was all of her jewelry. On the opposite wall were beanbags and a short table, designed for when she and her friends were just hanging out or when Riley and her were trying to get ready at once.

She loved it so much that she often got distracted while getting ready for school and risked being late. Which was why it was a good thing that Shawn and Lucas were incredibly punctual people, constantly reminding her that she was on a schedule.

As she stood in front of her full length mirror, checking her reflection, she allowed herself a little bit of time to make faces at herself, loving the way that she looked.

Maya had never experienced any of those insecurities about her appearance. She hadn't had the time to question whether or not she was pretty, because she had so many other things to be insecure about. As a result, she had always been confident in her appearance and never second guessed that she was, without a doubt, beautiful.

After all, her long, blonde hair was such a vibrant shade that it was almost a bright, golden shade of yellow. It fell all the way down her back, right to her waist in a tumble of soft, carelessly tussled curls. Her wide, doe-like eyes were a dark, denim shade of blue with small specks of gold surrounding the pupil. She had a heart-shaped face with full cheeks, pouty pink lips and tiny little ears. She had a tiny little button nose that some of her classmates had photographed before freshman year ended so they could start begging their parents for a nose job that would model Maya's own.

While she was short, her collection of high heeled shoes hid the fact that she was so far below the average height of a typical fifteen year old girl. She was curvy in all of the right places and had a waist just narrow enough. Her legs and arms consisted of solely muscle.

She knew that she looked good, and she didn't see a sense in hiding it.

"Maya, you've got five minutes to get out of this closet and eat some breakfast," Lucas said, rapping on her door twice before opening it and poking his head in. "And in that five minutes you apparently need to put some more clothes on, because there's too much skin showing, by the way." He said in a stage whisper before exciting the room once again.

Maya whirled around, sticking her tongue out at Lucas and crossing her eyes, despite the fact that the door was shut and there was no way he could see her.

She gave her faded, distressed denim mini skirt paired with a blue and white stripped, cropped tank top with a sheer, light weight navy blue, long sweater over the top one more glance and nodded in approval. Her curls had been scrunched up and were perfect spirals, carelessly tossed around her head. A pair of perfectly white, hidden wedge Nike sneakers added three inches to her height, which she loved. She blew a quick kiss in the mirror and made her way towards the kitchen.

"I'm wearing plenty of clothes," she replied as she slammed the door shut behind her.

"I don't agree," Lucas said without even sparing her a glance.

"Doesn't your school have some sort of a dress code?" Shawn sighed, shaking his head as he saw her outfit.

"Of course they do," Maya said cheerfully, leaning over Lucas's shoulder and stealing a strip of bacon from his plate. "I just don't care," She smirked.

"You better not be hanging out with Josh tonight," Shawn sighed.

"I'm sleeping at Riley's, because mom's working the late shift and you'll be out of town. It's not like we'll be here alone if I do," Maya rolled her eyes. "Besides, I've got cheerleading so I'll be getting to Riley's around the time they're going to be having dinner anyways. And Topanga's got that whole "no-visitor's-after-dinner" rule," Maya reminded him, plopping down on the seat next to Lucas.

Shawn may have a hidden distaste for Lucas, but he outright hated Josh. It didn't matter about the inside jokes they'd had back when Josh was younger, before Shawn was Maya's father. He couldn't stand the idea of an eighteen year old boy dating his sweet, innocent little fifteen year old princess. And he couldn't stand the thought of a guy like Josh, a guy who was so much like he had been when he was his age, dating his little Maya.

"Can we stop and get some coffee on the way to get RIley?" Maya asked, changing the subject away from Shawn's over protective nature.

"Of course," Lucas nodded. "But you better get a move on, because I'm leaving now," He smirked, jumping to his feet and racing from the apartment.

"YOU'RE ASKING FOR IT, HUCKLEBERRY!" Maya screamed, jumping to her own feet. She leaned over the counter and gave Shawn a kiss on the cheek to tell him goodbye, grabbed her backpack from where she had carelessly thrown it the day before and ran off after the Texan boy.

* * *

Something was going on with Lucas and Maya.

Farkle had thought that terrifying thought when he had spotted them in the library together the day before. He'd pushed it aside because he knew that they were both fiercely loyal individuals. They were two of his best friends. To think that they would both be cheating on their significant other, and that Maya would do anything to hurt Riley, meant that he was betraying them and their friendship.

But, seeing the two of them running out of Maya's apartment building together with Lucas's truck nowhere in sight brought that spark of an idea back into his mind and it allowed it to catch fire quickly, taking over his mind.

After all, if the truck wasn't outside of the apartment, it meant that they were trying to hide that Lucas was there. If he had merely stopped over to pick Maya up before school, Farkle would understand him exiting the building. But leaving the building together without the truck there meant there was something else going on.

Before he was going to say anything to anyone, however, he was going to have to figure out all of the missing pieces in this puzzle.

He refused to be the one to break Riley's heart and ruin the best friendship she had ever had if he wasn't one hundred percent positive that what he thought was true. After all, he was a man of science and that meant that he needed to have all of his facts straight before he went around spreading his conclusion. Right now, all he had was a hypothesis and he needed to have some more evidence before he went around spreading false information that could seriously damage the lives of those around him.

Besides, it wasn't his place to tell Riley about what he assumed was going on with Maya and Lucas. That was up to the two of them to figure out.

Farkle was not involved in this scheme and he needed to make sure that he stayed out of it. For once, he was going to have to keep his nose out of Lucas, Riley and Maya's little love triangle, because the last time he had gotten involved hadn't been good for anybody.

Texas had been bad for the four friends, but the aftermath of New Year's Eve up on Riley's rooftop was even worse than the aftermath of everything that had happened in Texas.

Farkle still hadn't forgiven himself for being the cause of what had happened that night, and he knew that he would hate himself forever if he caused something like that to ever happen to his friends again.

* * *

"Looking sexy," Maya whistled as she climbed in through the Bay Window that morning, smirking at her brunette best friend.

Riley Matthews glanced over her shoulder, smiling brightly at her best friend.

"Oh, this old thing? I just threw it together without a second thought," she winked, smoothing out the skirt of her black and white, 4-color block, skater styled mini skirt. She had a fitted, red, swoop neck tee shirt tucked into the skirt and a pair of red, suede, wedged ankle booties adding to her already ridiculously tall height. She had a simple red headband in her raven black hair, the rest of it falling in a thick and heavy mass down her back.

"You, on the other hand, are on _fire,"_ Riley gasped, bringing a hand dramatically to her mouth as she made a face of shock, immediately shaking it off as though the hand was burning her perfectly manicured hands.

Maya grinned, shaking her head slightly as she crossed the room and came face to face with her best friend. Immediately, they both dropped down onto their usual seats at the bay window, crossing one leg over the other in unison and slapping their hair, before shooting one another sheepish looks.

"Oh, stop it," They said in perfect unison.

They both burst into hysterical giggles at their comment, leaning against one another as though they depended on the other for the support. In a way, that was exactly how their friendship worked, though. Maya took in all of the darkness for Riley, so that the brunette never had to experience any hardships in her life, while Riley shone through as a beacon of light to keep Maya from succumbing to the darkness inside of her.

Together, the girls were the perfect balance. They were the perfect set of friends. The short blonde and the tall brunette. They filled every stereotype possible and they knew it. They prided themselves in their friendship and the fact that nothing had ever been able to come between them.

There had been two "big" fights between the two of them before and they were over stupid, foolish issues.

Maya had gotten angry when she had believed that Riley had chosen Luca's side over her own, when Lucas had finally fought back against Maya's constant teasing. When Riley had not defended Maya, swearing that she wasn't a "short stack of pancakes" when she really was far below average height for a female her age,Riley had taken it as Riley picking a boy over her best friend.

Riley had gotten angry hearing Maya constantly refer to Riley's constant state of happiness as "Rileytown". She had believed it to be bullying, but it was really because Riley had been pushed over the edge due to cyberbullying by one particular individual who Maya still did not know the identify of. Riley had sworn that she was over it and that the taunting had stopped, so she didn't see a point in focusing her attention on the stupid girl. Maya hadn't even known the girl's name when Riley had confronted her in the hallway, and she hadn't seen her since that encounter.

Neither of the fights had lasted longer than week. They had been resolved quickly and easily, with only a few major events that could be remembered about either particular event. The only other time something had put their friendship was risk was Lucas Friar, after the incident on Riley's roof on New Year's Eve, back in the eighth grade, after the events that had happened in Texas earlier that year.

But, that fight had never really been a fight. There had been tension and there had been bitterness. Riley had been jealous of every time Lucas and Maya interacted, hating the fact that there never seemed to be an awkward moment between the pair. Maya had hated every single time Lucas got nervous when talking to Riley, thinking that the awkwardness meant that he had stronger feelings towards the brunette.

Finally, though, Maya had put an end to everything when she told Riley that Lucas was just an attempt to get over Joshua Matthews, the guy that really had Maya's heart. It wasn't fair to hurt the group so much because of Maya's rebound boy so they agreed that Lucas and Riley were going to be together and Riley put all of her attention into getting Josh and Maya together.

Her reasoning for that hadn't been completely her best friend's happiness. She had mostly been afraid that Maya was lying and that Lucas wasn't picking a girl because he wanted to pick Maya and knew that Riley would be hurt the most by the rejection. She wanted Maya to have somebody else, so that she was no longer an option for Lucas. Maybe it was selfish of her, but everybody seemed happy ever since the decision had been made so Riley pushed aside all of her feelings of guilt and focused on the happiness in her life and in the lives of her friends.

"Lucas is waiting out in the truck-Shawn forced breakfast down his throat when he picked me up this morning, so we already ate," Maya explained, her deep, sultry voice breaking through Riley's train of thought.

"Why'd Lucas pick you up if Shawn was still around?" Riley wondered innocently, grabbing her backpack and looping it onto her back. She grabbed her oversized Coach purse and swung it onto her elbow and led Maya from the room as the girls spoke.

"Shawn got the call late at night that his trip got delayed, so I had already asked Lucas to give me a ride to school this morning. He was on his way over by the time I text him that there was a change of plans," Maya shrugged.

"Oh, okay-are you still sleeping over tonight?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, I just have to stop by my house after practice and grab some clothes," Maya nodded, flashing her friend a smile.

"Do you want me to meet you at the school after practice so you aren't alone or-"

"No, it's fine, Lucas has to be at practice until around the same time as me so he said he'd drive me and use dropping me off as an excuse to see you," Maya cut her off.

Riley grinned, satisfied with her best friend's response.

Sometimes, Riley hated being reminded that Maya was a cheerleader. Despite Riley having made the team in the eighth grade, she had failed to make even the junior varsity team during their freshman year of high school. Maya, however, had made the varsity team junior year. Maya swore it was only because of her short stature, but Riley was still slightly bitter over the fact that Maya had been chosen over her.

She knew it was wrong to be angry, since she had been the one to force Maya to even bother attending tryouts, but she couldn't help it. She tried to be happy for her best friend, though, because the blonde was at her happiest when she was cheering.

Besides, Riley had found plenty of other things to involve herself in, rather than focusing on something that she wasn't very good at and was probably never going to be any good at.

Currently, Riley was a journalist for the school newspaper and a member of the year book staff. She was a member of the prom committee as well and a part of student council, allowing her to plan fundraisers and other dances that the school held, on top of any school wide events. She had found things that made her passionate, in the same way that cheerleading made Maya passionate. Both girls were happy with their lives and that was more than enough for Riley to push her bitterness about not making the cheerleading team aside.

"You sneaking out to go meet Josh tonight?" Riley asked as they exited the apartment, heading downstairs.

Maya rolled her eyes, shooting Riley a "are you seriously asking me that question" look. Then, both girls burst into hysterics.

"Just make sure you leave after my dad does his midnight room check and that you're back before his five in the morning room check," Riley giggled, knocking shoulders with her best friend and shooting her a sly wink.

"And that I text Lucas that he can sneak over when I leave," Maya teased.

"Of course," Riley said, trying to gulp down the awkwardness at Maya's comment.

Because Lucas, no matter how safe Riley swore her room was, refused to break Cory Matthews's rules and sneak over to visit Riley late at night for some privacy in her bedroom. Lucas, the Moral Compass that he was, refused to spend the night at Riley's house and he refused to come over after Topanga and Cory's regulated "visiting" hours for their daughter. At times, Riley thought it was adorable but with the more and more he refused to come over despite her pleas, she more it bugged her.

Still, it wasn't the worst thing that Lucas could do in their relationship, so she just swallowed her pride and ignored the way it chipped away at her.

* * *

Lucas knew that he had a beautiful girlfriend.

Riley was gorgeous and that could not be denied.

Boys loved to stare at her long, seemingly endless legs. Their eyes were immediately brought to her perfectly asymmetrical, exotically beautiful face. They locked in on her intense, mysteriously sexy eyes. Her full lips were studied as though they were the most interesting things in the world. And her skinny frame was scanned over with hungry, almost predatory eyes every single time she stepped through the school doors.

She never failed to dress to impress, always showing off her finest features. The skirts that she wore broadcasted her long, toned legs. Her shirts clung to her perfectly flat torso and, due to their tightness, made emphasized the small chest that she had and broadcasted it to the world. The heels that she wore only increased the effect that her legs and her ass had on the male population around her.

And she wasn't just beautiful on the outside. She was even more beautiful on the inside. She loved to help others and make others smile. She wanted the rest of the world to see everything around them as being as amazing as she saw it herself.

His girlfriend was the type of girl who spread generosity, kindness, sincerity and hope everywhere that she went. She was pure and she was sweet. She radiated beauty from the inside out and that was something special.

Moral of the story, Lucas knew that his girlfriend was gorgeous. He knew that she was incredibly beautiful and he was well aware of all of the reasons why.

That wasn't the problem. The problem was that Lucas knew all of these amazing things about his girlfriend, yet he still wasn't happy with his life.

It wasn't even that he wasn't happy with his life. It was that he wanted something more out of it. He wanted something a little more passionate than what he had with Riley. And, besides, to Lucas, there was a girl far more incredible than Riley Matthews.

No matter how amazing he knew Riley was, he still couldn't believe that Riley was capable of holding a candle to Maya. Maya, in Lucas's opinion, was the most beautiful girl in the world because she was so imperfectly perfect. She was something special because she consisted of flaws all around.

And Maya never once had tried to hide her flaws. She broadcasted them for the world to see. She wanted everybody in the world to know that she was imperfect, because she thought that by giving them a warning it would keep people away. Her eagerness to share her imperfections with the world was a defense mechanism she had learned long ago.

Lucas knew each and every one of those imperfections. He knew, without fail, what made her angry, what made her sad, what would trigger her into feeling any particular type of way. He knew what she was sensitive about he knew what could make her cry. He knew what made her happy and he knew what to do to help her when she was about to hit her lowest points. He just knew, because he had always paid attention to her.

Despite his vast knowledge of Maya Hart, he never once wanted to abandon her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted her standing by his side the moment he found out that all of his dreams were about to come true. He wanted her standing there, looking at him with pride when they actually came true.

Riley was, without a doubt, Lucas's best friend. But they were too much alike and a lot of the time Lucas believed they had a more sibling like bond between them.

But he and Maya? They were like a fire and rain. And he wasn't hiding it anymore.

* * *

"What do you mean you're breaking up with me?"

Riley Matthews had woken up that morning assuming that, like every other day, that Thursday would be a typical day, following their usual routine.

That would entail that she would wake up, take a shower, eat breakfast, get ready for school and then leave with Lucas to get to school. She would attend her classes, spend her free periods in the yearbook room and eat lunch with Maya, Lucas, Farkle and Zay. She would finish up her classes and then she would catch a ride home from school with Farkle and his driver, since Lucas and Maya would both have practice right after school.

Nowhere in her usual routine was a spot where Lucas would tell her that he wanted to break up with her right before they were supposed to go and meet all of their friends for lunch. That was not something that happened on an average, unmemorable day.

If Lucas was breaking up with her, nothing made any sense. There was no reason for the break up. Riley couldn't think of a single incident that might lead her to believe that a break up was coming anytime soon. He hadn't hinted at wanting a way out. None of it made every sense to her, and she needed some sort of an explanation.

"I just…Riley, I'm not in love with you," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his thick, honey brown hair. The hair that Riley had loved to play with, once she had gotten her confidence up around the boy.

"You…so you've been _lying_ to me this entire time? It's been over a year, Lucas and you're just not deciding to tell me that you aren't in love with me?" Riley asked, taking a step back at the bluntness of his explanation, her eyes growing wide and her jaw dropping at the statement she had never expected to hear.

"I never told you that I loved you, Riley," Lucas pointed out. "You've said it to me, but I never once said it back to you. And that's because there was always somebody else," Lucas explained, his voice soft and gentle. He was being typical Lucas, acting as though he was trying his hardest not to break her, knowing that the girl was fragile, especially due to the conversation at hand.

"There's somebody else."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement and it was followed by a hollow, bitter laugh as Riley rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the tall boy across from her. She was in a new state, one that she had never known she was capable of possessing before. She was sure that she looked crazed, because she felt like she was about to go insane.

"Let me guess," Riley replied, her voice flat and lacking any sort of emotion. "The somebody else is _Maya,_ isn't it? And it's all my fault for all of this happening, because I decided that you were going to date me and not Maya after eighth grade?" She smirked, cocking a single eyebrow towards her hairline.

"It's not anybody's fault, Riley. And you can't blame Maya for the fact that-"

"She's never going to pick you, Lucas. She is never going to date you after this. And besides, she's got Josh now and that's all that she's ever wanted. All that you accomplished from all of this was losing her completely, Lucas," Riley stated, narrowing her eyes at him before turning on her heel and stalking off down the hallway.

Lucas had sat idly by and allowed the girls to make the decision for him over a year ago. He didn't get to just wake up one morning and decide that it was his right to decide. Riley was not going to allow that to happen.


	3. Pieces of Me

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 3: Pieces of Me **

_**SLAM**_

Lucas's fist slammed into the metal door of the locker, bending the cold, hard surface as soon as his skin made contact with it. When he brought his hand away, there was no pain and there was not a single mark on him. So, he brought his fist back and slammed it back against the door again, creating another dent.

When he brought his fist away this time, his knuckles were red and he had felt just the slightest amount of pain upon impact. It felt _good._

So, he wound up and slammed in another punch, cringing a bit at the large bent created in the metal. He was sure he was going to break the door and his mother would kill him when got the bill for the damages, but he didn't care. He needed to feel something, so he just kept punching the metal door, over and over again. Because it made him feel something other than the emptiness he felt about breaking up with Riley.

He shouldn't feel empty after a break-up. He should feel some sort of sadness, even though he was the one who had done the breaking up. It only made sense that he would feel _something_ though. Yet he didn't.

So, he was going to keep punching the locker door until his desire to feel was completely and totally satisfied.

Besides, there was no reason to be the "moral compass" anymore. He didn't need to have that title and he didn't need to be "Mr. Perfect" either. Riley wasn't around to scold him every time he allowed his anger to get the best of him. She wasn't there to fill him with pride whenever somebody commented on his reputation as a perfect boy. So, there was nothing to feel except for the pain that came with each successful punch.

He could go back to the Lucas that he had been back in Texas, the one quick to jump into a fight because the pain of a good punch being thrown gave him something to feel. And all he really wanted was to feel something, instead of the emptiness he currently felt inside.

Even as the skin broke and his the blood began to start rising towards the surface, running across his fingers and down his arm, he kept on punching the locker. He kept on punching even as the hinges snapped and the locker door dangled, threatening to fall to the tiled floor with a harsh crash.

And so it did.

It fell, but he didn't care. He just started slamming punched into the locker besides it.

"Lucas?"

The voice. That voice, the one that reminded him of an angel, broke him out of his trance and he jumped back, staring down at the damage he had caused in shock and disbelief. He had seen red and when he got into that zone, he lost control and was unable to comprehend what he was doing. Only one thing could get him out of that trance and that one thing was that beautifully deep, incredibly sultry and sexy voice.

He turned around, towards the blonde beauty who was the source of the voice that had saved him and immediately turned into a sheepish little boy, ashamed of what he had done.

He reached back, scratching at the back of his neck and staring at the ground, trying to keep the fallen locker door out of his vision. As though he could hide the fact that he had been the one to break the locker.

"What are you doing? What's going on and why aren't you at lunch? Where's Riley?" Maya wondered, so innocent and sweet, as she scanned the hallway with her beautiful, wide blue eyes that reminded Lucas of something so pure and innocent-something brand new, promising an endless supply of brand new starts.

Lucas stuffed his hands in his pockets, raising his shoulders up his ears. He could feel his face turning red from embarrassment of having been caught like that, especially by the beautiful girl standing in front of him. He knew that he was constantly describing her as being beautiful, but he couldn't think of a better word to use to describe her. Because she was, without a doubt, absolutely stunning.

"Riley and I sort of broke up," Lucas admitted.

"What? Why? She didn't seem upset about anything this morning and you were fine in the car on the way to school. What happened?" Maya asked, immediately full of concern and compassion as she took a step towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

That contact, the slight physical contact of her little hand on his broad, thick shoulder, was enough to calm him down and make him feel again.

Maya had that effect on him. No matter what was happening to him, she had a way of turn him back into the "Moral Compass". He wanted to be a better guy for her. He wanted to be enough for her.

And she filled him with a passion that he could not deny. Her saying his name made him smile. A simple touch made him want to slam her up against the lockers and kiss her all over. And a kiss, despite the fact that they had only shared two before, was enough to have him ready to throw her down on a bed and have his way with her. Even if their two kisses had taken place back when he was in middle school.

There was something about Maya that had always permitted him to feel something other than the emptiness that tore him apart and allowed his anger and physical sense to get the best of him. From the day she had met him, he had wanted to be a better guy. That was why everybody at John Quincy Adams Middle School had assumed Lucas was a perfect guy, the epitome of a moral compass. He had never talked about his life before New York City, because that would involve ruining the illusion and he did not want Maya to ever know about that side of him, because he knew that she would be disappointed.

He lived in constant fear of disappointing her. He never wanted her to look at him the way that she looked at her biological father. He didn't want her to look at him the way that she had once looked at her mother, back when Katy Hart had been a failure to her daughter.

Lucas lived for the way that Maya looked at her. It was what he wanted and it was what he needed. That was what gave him a sense of purpose that went beyond his amazing strength. It made him feel as though he was important for for something internal, like his brain or his personality or his heart.

Maya was the beacon of hope for Lucas. Maya was the light house that helped to guide Lucas towards a better tomorrow. One where he didn't resort to violence to protect his friends. One where he didn't need to punch impossibly hard surfaces in order to feel something in his life. One where he didn't allow his anger to take over whenever he didn't know what else he could do with his life.

It was because of that reason that Lucas did not want to explain to her what had gone down within the past ten minutes. Because explaining it to Maya would mean that she would be disappointed in him and it meant that she may never speak to him again. Lucas was terrified of what would happen if he lost Maya in his life. And what he hated even more than the prospect of losing Maya was the threat that everybody would assume that his transformation would be because of his break-up with Riley.

And Lucas was sick and tired of Riley getting all of the credit for Maya's hard work when it came to who Lucas was.

"I broke up with Riley," Lucas sighed.

He knew that Maya was going to know one way or the other, so he might as well just get it all out in the open right now. Except for the part about how Lucas was in love with Maya, because he was sure that Riley wasn't going to go around spreading that particular rumor anytime soon.

Because Riley couldn't admit defeat about something like that.

Admitting that Lucas wanted Maya meant revealing to everybody that Riley wasn't good enough. It meant that everybody who had always thought Maya and Lucas belonged together were right and that Riley had, once again, gotten what she wanted without thinking about what that would do to the people around her. So, Riley was never going to let everybody know that Lucas wanted Maya.

"Why?" Maya frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together as she took a small step back.

"Because you guys picked for me," Lucas blurted out. "I never wanted to date Riley," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He hadn't been planning on telling Maya the truth, but he didn't know what else he was supposed to say. So, he settled for telling her part of the reason and seeing where she went from there. He was sure the truth would end up coming out, but he wasn't sure if he wanted it to come out just yet or to come out solely because of his own stupidity.

"What are you saying? Are you saying that you wanted to date _me?"_ Maya asked, jaw dropping as her blue eyes widened. She didn't look terrified at the idea, but she didn't look like excited about the prospect either. He couldn't tell her the truth. It was too risky.

"No, no, no," Lucas said, backpedaling quickly. "I just meant…I never wanted anything to come between your friendship with Riley. I wasn't going to pick either one of you because I don't and I never did like either one of you more than the other," Lucas explained.

"Huckleberry," Maya giggled, reaching out and slapping him on the shoulder playfully. "We know you didn't want to pick. We knew that you never wanted to hurt either one of us and we knew that you would pick because you liked one of us more than the other. That's why we picked for you, Ranger Rick," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Wait…what?"

"I stepped down because Riley and I knew you would never pick. We talked about it. She tried to move on with Charlie, so that I could have you. But she couldn't be with Charlie because she didn't feel anything about him. So, I stepped down and I tried things with Josh, because I hadn't really tried to get over it before him. And it worked. I'm happy now. So, I guess we made the right choice," Maya explained.

"Oh…well, it doesn't matter. Because I realized that I never loved Riley. At least, not in the way that a boyfriend should. She and I worked better as brother and sister, and you knew that. You've always known that," Lucas shrugged, reaching down and picking up the backpack he had thrown aside during his attack on the locker.

"What are you talking about?" Maya asked.

"Come on," Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "Remember when the eighth grade yearbook came out and you pretended to be Riley because you wanted to turn her back into herself? You found something out about her that day, didn't you?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You're being ridiculous. You need to go and talk to Riley and fix all of this," Maya sighed, running a hand through her blonde locks.

"Maya, you can deny what you found out that day all you want. It doesn't matter anymore. But I'm not going to fix things with Riley because I don't want to date her anymore. I'm done pretending," Lucas pulled his backpack over his right shoulder, turning on his heel and walking away.

He had never willingly walked away from her before, but if he stayed there anymore and tried to explain things to her, he was going to end up telling her something that she would later regret. And he couldn't risk it. He couldn't tell her the truth, because she didn't want to hear the truth. Telling her the truth would push her away and he would lose her forever.

And Lucas was not going to lose Maya. He couldn't handle losing her, because he was in love with her. She was his first love and she would always be the love of his life. She was the reason that he believed in love at first sight. From the second he had seen her on that subway, he had known that they were going to be together forever.

But sometimes?

Sometimes she was just a little bit too much for even Lucas to handle.

* * *

Maya couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Lucas.

Because she knew that he was right. She could remember the exact second that she had made the revelation about Riley and Lucas's true relationship perfectly.

She knew, down to the very last detail, every aspect of when she figured it out. She knew how she had pieced it together, what she had been wearing and how her hair had been. She remembered the layout of the room and the feeling in the air.

Riley had never learned what Maya had figured out. She tried to figure it out. She had come close after the Texas incident but she hadn't done it. She had immediately back pedaled because, for Riley, that was too much to bare. It was too much to handle to know that Lucas was not going to be the love of her life.

And since Maya did everything in her power to protect Riley, she was going to have to forget what she had learned. She was going to have to deny it. Despite the fact that it had been that revelation that made her believe it was possible for her and Lucas to get together, she pushed aside what she had learned and feigned ignorance, because that was what it took to give Riley what she wanted and to keep Riley happy.

Keeping Riley happy was Maya's first and most important priority. And not just because Riley was her best friend and she wanted her best friend to be happy at all times. It was also because Riley's family had always gone above and beyond for Maya, before she had had a more stable family environment of her own. She felt like she owed it to them to do whatever it took to protect Riley from the rest of the world.

That was why Maya was always going to push aside her own happiness, after all. She couldn't do anything that would put Riley's happiness at risk. So, even if it meant missing opportunities for her happiness, she allowed Riley's happiness to come first. Even when that meant giving up Lucas.

Even when it meant pushing Lucas into a relationship that he didn't want. A relationship that wasn't good for either of the members of it. A relationship that chipped away at Maya's heart a little bit every day.

But maybe she was wrong. Maybe Riley and Lucas could work out perfectly fine and have their happily ever after.

Thinking back on that memory, however, Maya knew she was wrong.

 _****FLASHBACK*****_

 _Maya needed to fix things. She needed to get rid of Morotia and take back Riley. She needed to get rid of Donnie Barnes because she needed Farkle to come back. It was important to her. She needed her best friends back, because just having "Heehaw Sundance Okay-with-everything Ranger Rick, the Huckleberry of a Moral Compass" was not what she needed. She needed her sunshine back and she needed her boy genius back._

 _So, she had mastered a plan. She was going to pretend to be Riley and she was going to show them all how ridiculous they were acting. That was why she had donned a long, raven haired wig with a full, peasant styled stripped skirt and a red sweater over the top. As well as the annoyingly high pitched, cheerful voice she was using._

 _"_ _Lollipops and circuses and….things that rhyme with that!" She chirped as she entered the classroom, carrying her books against her hip. Being Riley was hard-she had never been so cheerful before in her life._

 _Lucas turned around as soon as she heard his voice, his eyes growing wide at the sight of her as his jaw dropped down in shock._

 _"_ _NO!" He snapped. "This is your solution, Maya?" He asked her._

 _Maya took a cautious step forward, biting down on her bottom lip._

 _"_ _Hi," She said softly, looking up at him from beneath her full, thick eyelashes. Being Riley was also a little fun._

 _Lucas_ _'s expression softened, his eyes lightening up as he looked at her. A smile began to spread out across his lips. There was a sparkle to his green eyes that Maya never remembered seeing when he interacted with Riley in such a way._

 _"_ _Hey," He said, causing Maya to release a giggle as she looked at the ground and then back up at him, her own eyes sparkling. She had never been allowed to flirt with Lucas before, unless it was for Riley's benefit and she was loving the momentary lapse of her disguise, not having to hide her true feelings from him._

 _"_ _Hi," She giggled one more time, unable to contain her smile. If interactions like this one with Lucas caused this much happiness, she could understand why Riley was always so happy and joyful. It was easy to get caught up in the joy that having Lucas look at her that way. She could get lost in those amazing green eyes and not having to tear herself from his vision was only adding to her joy._

 _"_ _NO!" Lucas snapped, breaking Maya out of her Riley-persona induced trance. He turned away from Maya, taking away the beauty of those green eyes as he turned back towards Riley and Farkle, disguised as Morotia and Donnie Barnes. Ridiculous names and nobody was sure where the names had come from, but those were the names they were being forced to use until further notice._

 _Lucas made his way towards his seat, shaking his head and Maya followed. Mr. Matthews came walking into the room shortly after, covering his eyes and begging for everything to be back to normal for his class. When he uncovered his eyes, Farkle nodded upwards, his black V-neck and matching beanie still his attire of choice._

 _"_ _What's up, hambone?" He asked, but that Farkle smile was still there. A smirk would have sufficed but Farkle could not get rid of that lovable, quirky, full-faced smile that was so infectious to everybody around him._

 _"_ _Don't worry, daddy!" Maya chirped from the front row. "I"m going to fix everybody right up!" She promised._

 _When Cory looked at her, he screamed._

 _Maya just continued to smile._

 _"_ _Alright,'" Lucas slammed his hand against his desk. "You know what?" He asked, jumping to his feet. "It's Lucas time."_

 _He made his way towards the front of the classroom, full of confidence that Maya had rarely seen in him before. It was the confidence that came with being passionate about what one was talking about._

 _"_ _You're the best Farkle we've got and everyone knows it," He said, staring directly at Farkle with that reassuring grin on his face that Maya loved so much. "And you are a complete ray of sunshine," He said, looking at Riley who had to fight the urge not to look at the handsome, tall, smiling boy in front of her._

 _"_ _And you are not," He stated, turning to look towards Maya. His tone changed when it spoke to Maya. He was not as bright and cheerful. He became more serious. "And that's who we are. I don't know what this is, but I do know that if you let someone say you are then you won't be who you really are," He explained, looking at the entire class as he spoke to them. Maya tried not to be offended that she merely got an insult from him._

 _"_ _And you certainly won't end up being who you were meant to be," He stated, looking around the classroom and settling back on Maya when he said that final statement, as though he meant that phrase to be particularly for her. It made her feel a little bit better about the way he had insulted her compared to the way he had praised their other two friends. Besides, insults were how their friendship operated._

 _"_ _If you end this with Iceland or Greenland, I'll give you an A on the report right now," Mr. Matthews whispered in Lucas's ear, taking his attention from Maya. "Because you are the only one in here I recognize," He added on, leaning back away from the boy as he looked back over at Maya._

 _"_ _Don't worry," Maya said, going back to her normal voice for a second. "I'm not going to stay as Riley. I know how much everyone would miss me if I did," She added on the ending with her usual cocky smile on her face._

 _"_ _No, no-stay Riley," Sarah insisted._

 _"_ _Yeah! You're a good Riley!" Darby added on._

 _"_ _Well…wait…you like us all like this?" Maya asked, turning to look around the room in confusion._

 _"_ _We like Riley," Yindra spoke up. "But we don't care who plays her." She shrugged._

 _"_ _WHAT ABOUT MAYA?" Maya asked, turning to Riley in a pleading whisper._

 _"_ _Nothing we do matters," Riley responded in her bored, monotone Morotia voice as she looked away._

 _"_ _Maya," Lucas snapped, grabbing her attention. "You're the most secure person in this room. You've got a great life. Why would you change?" Lucas asked her._

 _Then he stopped, hesitating for a moment._

 _"_ _Okay, not a great life. I mean, your family life could be, you know…better, but at least at school you're….uh, you're here a lot!" He said, trying to remain cheerful and encouraging, despite her falling face as the boy who was supposed to be her hero tore her apart. "Right? A little help please?" He asked, looking at his classmates to add to Maya's encouragement, knowing he had messed up his part. "Donnie Barnes?"_

 _"_ _I think people should be the person they can be," He stated._

 _"_ _I agree," Maya nodded. "Riley Matthews is the best person I can be. Maya's gone. You're never gonna see her again." she stated, opening up her yearbook and resting her head on her hands, staring at the page. It wasn't a random page, however. It was the picture of her and Lucas, where they had been voted Cutest Couple. She softly began singing a cheerful tune as Lucas looked on._

 _"_ _You all say I'm most likely to be okay with anything?" Lucas asked, walking around the room. "Well, I'm not okay with any of this. I'm not okay with all of you guys not realizing that what you say about people matters. And I'm not okay with you guys thinking that what people say about you matters."_

 _And with that, Lucas sat back down in his seat and Cory took over his class again, explaining to them what happened when everybody went to Greenland._

 _"_ _Because if you listen to everybody else, you just might end up crashing your little ships against the rocks," Cory finished his lecture._

 _"_ _But you should listen to the people who care about you," Lucas spoke up, looking up at their teacher as Maya turned around to face him. "Because they have your best interest at heart," He finished, looking directly at Maya._

 _"_ _Right, buddy?" He looked over at Farkle for the next part. "You're much more than just a regular guy," He stated._

 _"_ _Awe, Lucas, you're a very sweet guy. That's why I've always liked you, since I fell onto your lap on the subway. It's why we should have been the favorite couple. Because we're so much alike. You know, it's like we're two sunshine-y people from the same sunshine-y family. That's why I like you so much. It's like you're my brother…." Maya trailed off, looking over at Riley. "Oh….it's like he's your-"Se immediately cut herself off, knowing that only trouble was to come._

 _"_ _What?" Riley asked, turning towards her friend in confusion._

 _Lucas was staring at Maya full on concern and the rest of the class was looking on, waiting for Maya to reveal what the rest of them already knew to be true._

 _"_ _What just happened?" Riley asked._

 _"_ _Uh…nothing," Maya said, tearing off the wig and shaking out her hair. "Nothing happened. I don't want to be Riley anymore. Only you're Riley. I'm Maya. We don't care what you say! We're not crashing our ships!" She announced to the class. "Come back. Come back right now," She ordered her other two friends._

 _And with that, the school bell rang signaling the end of class. But it wasn_ _'t the end of that conversation. Riley was going to spend a long time after that trying to figure out what Maya had learned and Maya was going to constantly think about what she had learned._

* * *

Riley didn't know how she was supposed to tell the story of the break-up to Maya without revealing that Lucas loved Maya. And she couldn't reveal the fact that Lucas loved Maya, because that would involve Riley having to admit the fact that Lucas, who was the love of Riley's life, was in love with Riley's best friend Maya. And Riley was terrified of admitting that to anybody, even herself.

Because admitting it meant that it could get around. And if it got around, that Lucas loved Maya, Maya may rethink her decision to let Lucas go. She may decide that she wanted to have Lucas for herself, since he didn't want Riley and really wanted Maya. Maya may believe that it was okay, now that Riley had had her own chance to make things work with Lucas. Maya may not view it as stealing him from her.

But that was what it was. If Maya and Lucas started dating, it would be Maya stealing him fro Riley. And Riley would forever resent Maya for it, even though a part of her would know that she was wrong for hating her best friend for being happy. Especially when Maya had stepped aside and forgotten about her own happiness to allow Riley to be happy. It wouldn't be fair to hate Maya for it, but Riley wouldn't be able to help it.

She would try, of course. Just like she did all those years ago when she tried to push Maya onto Lucas. But, even back then, before she had had a real taste of Lucas Friar, she hadn't been able to step aside in the same way that Maya had been able to. Riley was always going to want Lucas and she would always hold onto a shred of hope that he would want her back someday.

And Riley couldn't risk her friendship with Maya. She needed to have Maya, her best friend, by her side at all times. If she didn't, then she was done for. She didn't know who she was without Maya. But their friendship would be ruined forever if Maya and Lucas got together but Riley wasn't sure she could handle watching her best friend's happiness come from the boy who had broken Riley's heart.

So, she needed to make sure that Maya never found out that Lucas really did have feelings for her. That he hadn't been okay with the girls making the decision for him all those years ago. That he had wanted to pick Maya back and then and still wanted to pick Maya. That he would always choose Maya.

Luckily for Riley, she was certain that Maya wasn't interested in Lucas any longer. She was positive that Maya was completely dedicated to Josh and would remain dedicated to him. Nothing would ever make her doubt that, because Maya had been obsessed with getting Joshua Matthews to herself since the girls were in seventh grade.

Now that she finally had him, it only made sense that she would do anything to keep him. So, even if Riley was unable to keep Maya from learning the truth about Lucas's feelings, she was positive that the blonde was never going to leave Josh for Lucas, especially since Riley was sure a part of Maya was terrified of losing Riley, as well.

That was the good thing about the friends needing one another so much. They depended on one another and both would do anything to make their friendship work. All Riley had to do was secure the notion in Maya's head that she would be crushed when Lucas started dating somebody else, and that would be the end of it.

Maya and Lucas would never get together and Riley would never have to see Lucas with another girl, because he would never put another girl through what he had put Riley through. He would never start another relationship while being in love with Maya.

Everything, like always, was going perfectly in Riley's life. Even when things didn't go exactly as she planned them to, they fell right back into place and allowed her to continue to live in her happy state of ignorant bliss.

She was broken out of her thoughts when Maya appeared by her side, plopping down on the bench in the hallway by the bottom of the staircase and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling the brunette close to her.

"How you holding up?" Maya asked her, a concerned smile sketched across her face. "I ran into Lucas and he told me everything," She explained.

Riley stiffened, unsure of what that meant. After all, if Lucas told her everything then it meant that Maya knew.

"What did he tell you," Riley whispered, burying her head into Maya's shoulder.

"That he broke up with you because we made the decision for him and he never wanted to pick. That he was never going to pick either one of us," Maya rolled her eyes.

Riley was silently relieved by Maya's statement. Lucas had made up another excuse for the breakup and that meant Riley was safe from the risk of Lucas and Maya ever getting together. And for that, she was grateful.


	4. Hart-to-Hart

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 4: Hart-to-Hart**

 _ **A/N: So, apparently there's something wrong with my reviews. It says I have 8 but I can only read 5 of them no matter what I try. Somebody help because I really want to know what you guys think of the story and not being able to read your comments is killing me.**_

 _ **A/N2: Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Things are escalating quickly at the moment, but soon enough everything is going to simmer down. Things just have to boil over the top beforehand.**_

* * *

"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR! HEY, EVERYBODY UP IN THE STANDS, YELL GO BOBCATS GO! COME ON, GO BOBCATS GO! LOUDER NOW, LET'S HEAR YOU SHOUT! BEAT THOSE MUSTANGS! COME ON, BEAT THOSE MUSTANGS!"

The Abigail Adams High School cheerleaders finished the final word of their new cheer, but Maya refused to allow her body to relax just yet. Technically speaking, she _couldn't_ allow herself to relax, because she was being held up by three other teammates, as the center of the pyramid.

Positioned on one leg, with her left arm on her hip and her right arm extended outwards, pointing towards the crowd, she stood in a perfect liberty. Her Left foot was in her bases's hands, her backstop clinging to the back of her knee and clutching her ankle. Her right foot was pointed, brought up to her knee and her smile was bright.

The cheer consisted completely of stunts and it was absolutely exhausting. But Maya wanted every second to go perfectly because she had been the one to help create the cheer. She was the junior captain of the team and the favorite of the senior co-captains who constantly talked about how proud they were to leave their team in the capable hands of Maya Hart when they graduated. And Maya wanted to make sure they had put their faith in the right place.

It began with five stunt groups, Maya in the center. The two stunt groups on either side of her began with walk-in, step-up halves. Then, they grabbed onto Maya, who had been nestled into the hold of her bases, squatted down. The other two flyers helped her to flip up into her stunt where her bases caught her in a half liberty. As she got her balance, she switched legs with a simple tick-tock.

Meanwhile, the other two stunt groups entered with the flyer doing a back walkover, flipping over the backspot's shoulder to get into a half. When they were positioned, they turned around, glancing at the crowd from over their shoulders with one hand resting behind the head and the other one on their butt. As they stood there, their bases would turn the stunt group around. When they were facing the front, their hands snapped down to rest on their hips with their hands folded up into fists.

At the first "come on" Maya released her partner's hands and was pushed up into a full liberty, with her arms positioned into a high V. As she held onto her place, placing in a few simple moves, her fellow stunt groups were brought down into the re-take position and the ones closest to Maya spread out to give Maya's group a bit more space.

The other four groups were brought up into full awesome's, a quick flash of the flyer as they broadcasted the word BOBCAT across their uniform. Then, they were put up into full awesome's and held there this time, pointing out at the audience at the end. At the same time, Maya twisted her body into a scorpion. Her stunt group turned in a full circle. When they reached the front, Maya snapped back up into a straight lib with one hand on her hip and the other one pointed out towards the crowd.

"Alright, perfect. Cradle out and that's the end of practice for today," Coach Evans called out, a bright smile on her full, perfectly round face.

Maya loved their coach almost as much as she loved the rest of the her team. Coach Kelly had attempted to remain the coach of "her" cheerleaders when the girls had moved onto high school but there was already a coach at the high school. Besides that, not everybody went to the same high school after John Quincy Adams Middle School, which already split up the twelve girls she had selected back in the third grade. As a result, she was still at the middle school scaring girls away from becoming cheerleaders while the high school got Coach Margaret Evans, who was the sweetest woman in the entire world.

The short, slightly chubby, rosy cheeked blonde counted the girls out for the cradle and the five flyers twisted in the air, landed safely in their bases's arms. As the girls moved to go and roll up the mats, Maya couldn't help but overhear the bitter whispers made by Samantha Charles and Olivia Jenkins, the two remaining members of the John Quincy Adams Middle School School cheerleading team.

The girls hated Maya on the principle of the fact that they believed they should have been selected as the future captains of the team, over Maya. Sometimes Maya agreed with them, because she knew she lacked their experience. But, leadership meant a lot more than experience and Maya had all of those qualities. She was sure of it.

"I hate her, but that was a pretty decent cheer," Jenkins, who still went by her last name only, muttered, reaching up to tighten her glossy, dark chocolate brown ponytail.

"But of course she has to be the center of it all," Samantha laughed, rolling her eyes as her curly, ash-blonde ponytail bounced with every step that she took.

"She's not even any _good,"_ Jenkins replied bitterly. "They only picked her because she's the easiest one to control. Ashleigh and Melody just want somebody who will do everything they next year when their gone. Notice that they're two of the other flyers?" she pointed out, shooting her cat-like, jade green eyes towards the co-captains who were whispering with their coach as the rest of the team worked on putting away the mats.

Still, she couldn't deny that the whisperings hurt her from time to time.

"You two do realize that I made _both_ of you flyers for this cheer?" Maya snapped as the mat was finally completely rolled up. The _thud_ as the mat was fallen onto the silver racks used to wheel the mat around only emphasized her anger.

She turned on her heel, storming off towards her bag and grabbing the dark blue Nike gym bag as she stalked out of the gym, she knew she was going to hear all about it from Melody and Ashleigh, but she didn't care. She stood up for herself and she removed herself from the situation before she said anything she may regret.

Besides, she had bigger fish to fry.

* * *

"We need to talk," Maya said, slamming Lucas's car door as she climbed into the truck.

He knew that she was angry due to the fact that she didn't ask him to help her into the truck or complain about having to get into the truck herself. She hadn't opened the backseat of the truck and put her bag down before hand. And she didn't immediately demand that they stop for frozen yogurt or ice cream or smoothies or something else full of high calories to counteract the work out she had just had.

She was pissed and as much as an angry Maya turned Lucas on, it also terrified him. Especially when the anger was directed towards him, because there was nothing he could do to get away from her when she was in one of her moods.

Maya had a tendency of following whoever she was pissed at around until she got everything that she needed to say out in the open. And if they dared to fight back and try to defend themselves? That only made her angrier. It made her scream and yell. Sometimes she even threw things when she was angry enough, although usually her violent tendencies were reserved for when she and Lucas were alone in her room or his room, where she could freely rant about everything that was bothering her.

"How could you do that to Riley?" Maya sighed. "She deserves so much better than that and you know it. And why would you wait so long before you decided to stand up for yourself? It would have been one thing if you told us all of that in the beginning, but you waited over a year. Lucas, you broke her heart and that's not fair. She's never going to get over this. Not completely, at least. She's always going to hold onto this and wonder why she couldn't be good enough for you," Maya went on, leaning her head against the window.

Lucas was a bit shocked at how calm she was being. She sounded more hurt than she did angry. She was clearly upset about what had happened, but she was not going to yell at Lucas. It was clear that she wanted answers, because she was concerned about Riley. But it was also clear that she wanted an explanation from Lucas, because she knew that whatever was going on affected him just as much as it was affecting Riley.

She was, without a doubt, acting as the perfect mutual party. She was the best friend of both and she was ensuring that she was caring for the both of them.

"I just don't get it, Ranger Rick. We're best friends, you know you can tell me anything. And out of all of the long talks we've had about anything and everything and all the time we spend together, you never once mentioned any of this to me. So, can you please try to explain this to me?" She asked, her voice soft.

He could tell that she was fighting back tears. She wasn't just concerned for her friends. She was just as concerned for herself. She was worried about losing her best friend, and she wasn't worried about losing Riley. She considered Lucas to be her best friend, or at least once of them. He'd never heard her talk about him like that. But, he figured that if she was going to be honest with him, he should give her the same respect.

"Maya…I was going to pick you, okay?" He sighed, his fists clutching the steering wheel and his knuckles turning white as he turned onto the street from the parking lot.

"What?" She froze, lifting her head up and turning to look at him.

"After graduation back in eighth grade? I was going to pick you. I knew from the second we kissed at the campfire back in Texas that I wanted you. I just….I didn't know how to let you know without making you think I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to do. And then, when I figured out what I wanted to say…Farkle told everyone that Riley still liked me. And then I didn't know how to tell you guys without hurting Riley. But I wanted to pick you. I always wanted to pick you," Lucas said, the words tumbling out of his mouth without any thought going into it.

He couldn't stop himself, but he also didn't care. Maya had every right to know all of what he was saying and he wasn't going to withhold the information from her anymore. He was telling her everything and he was no longer monitoring anything out of fear of hurting Riley.

"And then you were with Josh and you guys were telling me that I should be with Riley and all I could think was that you picked that idiot over me. So, I made a stupid mistake and I got myself in too deep. I didn't know how to say no without making it clear that I would have picked you and that would have crushed her. And then I would have had to break up with her and I was terrified of you picking her over me and losing you completely, but…I just couldn't do it anymore, Maya. I can't hold it in anymore. I'm in love with you, Maya Hart and I don't want to just sit on the sidelines anymore," He exclaimed, shocking even himself with the words leaving his mouth.

"Lucas," She whispered.

She didn't need to say anything else. She had called him by his first name and that was enough. She never called him that. She always had a nickname and usually, even when she was upset or emotional with him, she still called him by one of those stupid nicknames she had made up back in the seventh grade.

Calling him by his first name meant something.

"Maya, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said anything. I know the position this puts you in," Lucas sighed, releasing his iron-tight grip on the steering wheel and reaching out to take her hand in one of his.

When she didn't immediately recoil, yanking her hand away from him, he figured that it was okay to go on with everything that he had to say. But, just to be safe, he decided to test the waters. He wound his fingers through hers, allowing their hands to be completely intertwined. He used his thumb to rub reassuring circles around the back of her hand.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you don't feel the same way and I now that you've got Josh. I didn't break up with Riley expecting for us to suddenly get together. I did it because I couldn't lead her on anymore and I couldn't just sit by and act okay with your relationship. I'm going to fight for you, Maya….but, first I'm going to make things right with Riley so she knows not to blame you for any of this," Lucas assured her, giving her hand a tight squeeze.

"Lucas…it killed me to step aside. It hurt the first time, because I knew that you were something special from the second I saw you. But…after I thought I had a chance and then I found out I had to step aside for Riley again? It killed me, but I did it because I thought it would make everyone happy in the end…but…none of us are happy, are we? None of us have been truly happy since Texas, have we?" she asked, and this time Lucas knew that the tears were falling.

The strongest person that he knew was breaking down. He couldn't remember the last time Maya had cried, at least in front of anybody. He definitely knew that she had never cried in front of him. She was always strong in front of anybody other than Riley.

Yet, there she was, sitting in the passenger's seat of his truck crying like a little girl and it killed him because he didn't know what he could do to help her.

"Maya…how about we stop at Nighthawk Diner and I'll buy you the biggest tuna melt they have," Lucas asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes and flashing her a goofy grin.

She looked up from her lap, away from their intwined hands and a slow, small smile began to creep across her face as she nodded.

"Add in a triple chocolate milkshake and you've got yourself a deal, Hop-a-Long," She giggled as that glorious smile broke through her tears.

* * *

Riley was actually a little bit annoyed.

Maya was supposed to be her best friend and best friends were supposed to be there whenever one another needed anything.

Yet, Riley was sitting in her bay window, curled up in a ball with her forehead resting against her knees as she sobbed harder than she ever had in her life. Because she was heartbroken over her break up with Lucas.

She was heartbroken, and she was alone. She was left alone to her own devices. Her best friend, who had been supposed to come over as soon as her cheerleading practice was over, wasn't coming over. She had sent Riley a text that she'd had a rough night and was going to just head home because she'd prefer some alone time.

But Riley knew the truth. She wasn't stupid. She knew that Maya was ditching her plans with Riley to go and spend more time with Josh. On an ordinary day, that would be something that Riley could shrug off. Maybe she'd be a little hurt that Maya had picked a boy over their friendship but she had picked Lucas over Maya more than once, so it was understandable. Riley could get over it.

On this particular day, however, Riley was pissed. She was dealing with a breakup and Maya was ignoring her friend's pain to enjoy her own relationship. That was like pouring salt in an open wound. It was unfair and it was unkind. It was the exact opposite of what a good friend should do for their supposed best friend. There was no excuse and there was no explanation good enough for bailing on a heartbroken, recently dumped best friend.

Of course, it probably wasn't completely fair of Riley to be angry with Maya. After all, Maya had enough drama in her own life. If she was having a bad day, which wouldn't surprise Riley because Maya usually was in a bad mood after cheerleading practice, it would only add to her troubles to have to help Riley through a breakup.

And it had to be one of the worst days ever for Maya to actually turn around and tell Riley that she wasn't going to be able to hang out with her that day. Because ordinarily, Maya would drop absolutely anything and everything for Riley when the brunette really needed her best friend's help.

"RILEY! DINNER!" Topanga Matthews's voice broke Riley out of her thoughts, tearing Riley away from the internal debate in her mind.

"COMING!" She shouted back, rising to her feet.

Grabbing her phone, she started to fire off a reply to Maya's text message. With her head down, she walked out of her bedroom and towards the kitchen of her apartment, dropping down into her usual seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure dressed in dark clothing which shocked her enough to drop her phone into her lap and snap her head up.

Sitting besides her was a tall, lanky, pale skinned boy with a crooked smile and eyes almost as dark as his dark chocolate, thick and wavy hair, carelessly gelled and styled to peak out from beneath a black beanie. A black ROLLING STONES tee shirt was nestled underneath a plaid shirt in various shades of grey and dark, straight leg jeans finished off his outfit with a pair of beat up, black Converse sneakers.

"Uncle Josh? What are you doing here?" She asked, eyes growing wide.

"You dad called and asked me if I wanted to come over for dinner since my late class got cancelled tonight," He shrugged, not even taking a second to pause from using his fork and knife as a set of drum sticks against the table.

"But I thought you and Maya were hanging out tonight," Riley frowned.

"Did she say we were? She knows I have that introduction to media class every Thursday night," Josh frowned.

"No…she just cancelled on sleeping over here tonight because she had a bad day, but I figured she was just making up a excuse so she could go and see you…"Riley frowned. "I don't get why she'd bail when she knows Lucas broke up with me," Riley whispered to herself.

"Lucas broke up with you?" Cory asked, perking up from his seat at the head of the table.

"Why?" her recently turned 8 year old brother, Auggie, frowned.

"Riley, why didn't you tell us when you got home?" Topanga asked, sitting down at her usual seat at the table.

"He said that Maya and I decided for him, before he and I started dating…he said that he was only dating me because he didn't want to hurt either of, but that he wasn't going to pick me," Riley whispered, biting down on her bottom lip when she finished to fight back the tears.

"So what? He broke up with you and now he's going to go after Maya?" Josh's chair squeaked as he slid back, away from the table, throwing his silverware down and jumping to his feet. "Where's this Lucas kid live, anyways? I'm going to go have a talk with him. He made my niece cry and now he's going to go after my girlfriend? No, no way," Josh glared, staring at his brother.

"Josh, sit down. You're eighteen and he's sixteen. You can't touch him," Topanga, always looking at things from the legal side, sighed, rolling her eyes. "And besides, violence is never the answer and nobody said he's going to go after Maya," She reminded him.

"He said he doesn't like Maya," Riley shook her head. "He just didn't want to pretend to want to date me anymore," She swallowed, working as hard as she could to fight back the tears.

"I need to go see Maya," Josh insisted.

"Why?" Auggie asked sweetly and innocently.

"Because Riley's a mess right now and Maya would never just leave her here on her own when she's this upset. Something is seriously wrong with my girl and I need to make sure she's okay," Josh sighed.

Riley agreed with him.

If Maya wasn't there and if she wasn't with Josh, it meant that she was upset. It meant that there was something seriously wrong. Riley was in no condition to go and make sure her best friend was safe and sound. But, she had her parents by her side to make sure she was okay. Maya needed Josh.

"Go…and tell her to call me, no matter what's wrong with her. Because we're supposed to help each other through everything. It doesn't matter if she's worried about taking away from my pain by being upset herself. She's allowed to be sad and I'm allowed to be sad and sometimes it's going to happen at the same time. So…just make sure she's alright and either bring her here or tell her to call me, please?" Riley asked, looking up at her uncle with tear filled eyes.

"Of course," Josh nodded, leaning down to hug his niece goodbye. "And if I run into that asshole, I'm punching him in the face. Criminal record be damned," He whispered in her ear, proud of himself for making her laugh a little bit.

* * *

Farkle got the phone call from Maya and was out his front door, in the backseat of his father's town car, and on his way to Riley's house within seconds.

Maya had called him to inform him that she was too upset after practice to go over and give Riley the help she would need. So, the blonde had asked Farkle if it would be possible for him to go and visit Riley and make sure that she had somebody to talk to other than her parents, who wouldn't allow her to properly rant about the boy who had broken her heart.

It was a sign that Maya truly did care about Riley. She went out of her way to make sure that Riley had somebody to console her, despite the fact that Riley would be sitting in a house full of people while Maya went home to an empty apartment, left to her own devices. But, Maya knew that Riley hadn't had the practice with pain and heartbreak that Maya had had, and that meant she needed some help to deal with it.

He had always been amazed with the friendship that Maya and Riley had. It was something special and even though he was a part of their group, he knew that he did not have the connection with either of them that they had with one another.

Lucas and Farkle didn't have a connection like that.

Zay and Lucas didn't even have a friendship like that.

Nobody would ever have a friendship like the friendship that Maya and Riley had, because it was close to impossible to find a person that could complete somebody else. And that was what Maya and Riley did. They were the piece that the other one was missing in their life-everything that the other one needed.

They had a friendship that was written about in movies and tv shows and books. It was displayed all over the place, but nobody got it quite right. Nobody else was able to get the true essence of a friendship like that.

That was why Farkle was so grateful for having Maya and Riley in his life. They knew what true friendship was and they showed everybody around them what true friendship was. Due to their knowledge of what friendship really was, they passed that on to everybody else who was considered a friend to them. And having one another made Maya and Riley each a better person, whether or not they knew it.

All he could hope for was that whatever was happening with Maya and Lucas wouldn't ruin it.

* * *

"So…when did you realize you liked me?" Maya asked, a coy smile on her face as she pulled her large, whipped cream covered milkshake towards her. She wrapped her mouth around the straw and looked up at him beneath her eyelashes, waiting expectedly.

"Do you remember when we first met? You came and sat next to me on the subway so full on confidence and grace….and you told me-"

"Hi, I'M Maya. You're really cute. We should hang out sometime. You make me happy. You don't pay enough attention to me. This isn't working out. It's you, not me. We can still be friends. Not really," Maya laughed, snorting a little bit as she pulled away from her milkshake, whipped cream stuck to her nose.

"Yeah, something like that," Lucas chuckled, leaning across the table and swiping his finger across her nose, helping himself to a taste of the whipped cream accenting her drink.

"But…you and Riley immediately started your little thing after that. That can't have been when you first realized you liked me," Maya insisted, running a hand through her hair and looking down towards her tuna melt.

"And then, exactly one week later on September fifteenth, you made fun of me for being from Texas for the first time, when Mr. Matthews took away our phones," Lucas explained.

"Me making fun of you made you realize you liked me?" Maya asked. "And…you still had that whole thing with Riley after…."

"Maya, everybody just assumed I was into Riley and eventually, I started to think that I had no choice. I heard about how we were supposed to be together nonstop. And she was cute and I guess I kind of did like her, but I loved you, Maya. It was why I never got bothered whenever you teased me. Until…."he trailed off, choosing instead to help himself to a french fry smothered in ketchup.

"Until you called me shortstop and we got into that fight," Maya finished for him. "What made you snap?" She asked.

"You got back from Philadelphia with Riley, after they dug up that time capsule? And you couldn't shut up about Josh and it killed me because I hated that some other guy could get your attention like that. And it killed me even more that I had met the guy and he didn't even give you the time of day. Some asshole who couldn't give you the attention you deserved got your heart when it was the only thing I wanted," Lucas explained, clenching a tight fist as his knuckles turned while.

"You're jealous of Josh," Maya said.

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"I'm not jealous, exactly," He shrugged. "I just don't think he's good enough for you. I think that you could do better and I think you deserve better. You and Josh work. You work about as well as Riley and I worked. You can be together and one of you is always going to know that there's somebody else out there for you that could fill that emptiness inside of you. Or, you could be apart and put all of your energy into making sure that you both with the person who makes you whole inside," Lucas explained, dragging a french fry through his ketchup.

"Riley would never forgive me for being with you," Maya whispered.

"But you want to be?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I've always wanted that," Maya nodded. "From the second I saw you on the subway and pointed you out to Riley. I liked you so much that I made up all of those nicknames and started making fun of you to hide it. I liked you enough to pay attention to all the small details and even started acting like you a little. I liked you enough to want you to hate me for the nicknames, which is why I always got so mad that I couldn't break you with our little game. I liked you enough to keep that stupid flower you gave me at that stupid dance," Maya explained, growing more and more animated with every sentence.

She paused, taking a bite of her tuna melt as she thought about what she was going to say next.

"I liked you so much that I didn't want you to kiss Riley during the play because I wanted to be your first kiss. I loved the fact that you were so protective of me that you slapped a hand over Farkle's mouth when he asked about the painting of my mom at the diner. I was even jealous of Smackle when she was flirting with you after we gave her that makeover. I liked you enough to write a song about you-a goofy one, but that was what I chose to do with the first song I played on my guitar. I liked you enough to pick your side and defend you with the muffin project and I got so excited when I thought you were actually taking me out on Hallo-"

"Alright, Maya, I get it," Lucas laughed, having finished off his burger. "But, can I ask you one thing? If you like me so much, why are you with Josh?" he asked.

"Because I needed to get over you and Josh was….well, he was Josh and he was the first guy I really liked. The only guy I was ever able to actively voice my attraction to," Maya whispered.

"And….why are you still with him?" Lucas asked.

Maya didn't have an answer to that one.


	5. Questions Unanswered

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 5: Questions Unanswered **

**_A/N: I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. The beginning started off strong, but I feel like the middle was a little all over the place. But, I feel like I saved it a little bit at the end, so I hope that you guys can forgive me for a mediocre middle section. If I can ever fix my reviews, hopefully I'll have the answers eventually._**

* * *

Why _was_ Maya still with Josh?

It was a fair question. She had to give Lucas credit for that. He always knew what to say to leave her absolutely speechless.

She couldn't think of any good reason why she was still with the eighteen year old boy who had taken over her middle school years. The boy she had obsessed over for years. The boy with the crooked grin and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

He was nothing but trouble and she knew that. He was too old for her. He lived too far away from her. He was her best friend's uncle and the brother of her teacher. There were so many reasons why they shouldn't work, but that had just tempted Maya even more. She wanted him that much more as a result.

And then things changed. Suddenly, a three year age difference didn't seem like such a big deal to her. He got into a college near her and now only lived a ride on the subway away from her. Riley stopped reminding Maya that Josh was her uncle and Mr. Matthews was no longer her teacher. All of those reasons for why it shouldn't work were gone and all that was left were their feelings for one another.

Those feelings were so strong. For Maya, they were stronger than anything else she had ever felt before. Maybe it was because she wasn't afraid to voice her feelings, for once. Or maybe it was because she didn't feel like she was competing against anybody else for his attention, the way that she was with Lucas. She felt so different every time Joshua gave her attention or a compliment.

If she was being completely honest, though, it was the same feeling she got whenever Lucas had given her a compliment before the incident in Texas. The way she had felt when he had complimented her when they had been working to save the art program at John Quincy Adams Middle School. Like she was worthy.

But, after everything that happened in Texas and on the rooftop on New Year's Eve, those compliments were different. The looks were different. The touches were different. Suddenly, every single time it was a competition.

Maya was left to worry about whether he was doing it to make up for having done so with Riley beforehand or about when he was going to make it up to Riley after.

With Josh?

It was different.

He was complimenting her because he meant it. He was staring at her, refusing to look anywhere else, because she compelled him.

The way that he made her feel whenever he said her name was a feeling that she was the only one feeling. The sparks that went off every single time his hands brushed by hers were electrifying. They were exactly what she needed to know she was his one and only.

And it was a nice feeling. It was an incredible feeling. It was the best that she had felt in a long time. And she knew that nobody could take it away from her. There was nobody on the sidelines rooting for her failure in her relationship with Josh. There was no back-up plan for him. And that made her want to make sure she didn't have a back-up plan either.

So, so swore off Lucas and promised Riley that she was absolutely fine with her best friend having the boy they were both fighting over. Because Maya knew Riley like she knew her own mind. Nobody would ever find somebody as trusting or as kind. She loved Riley more than anyone in the world and she would choose Riley's happiness over her own every single time. So, she put what she and Lucas could have had aside.

That explained why Maya was with Josh.

But it didn't answer Lucas's question.

He had wanted to know why Maya was still with Joshua Matthews, and that was a question that Maya forced herself to ignore in her own mind.

How could she answer it aloud to some other boy, who was trying to ruin what she had with Josh. Trying to taint the purest, most innocent form of love that Maya had ever felt in a romantic sense.

She couldn't. She knew that she couldn't. And that was why she answered the way that she did.

"I don't know," She admitted, wrapping her arms around herself and shrugging one shoulder in the air. "I really don't know," She sighed.

* * *

Lucas smiled at the sleeping blonde sitting in the passenger's seat of his truck when he pulled up at her apartment.

She was adorable.

It didn't matter that her hair was falling out of a sloppily pulled back ponytail or that the sleeve of her blue and white cheerleading practice tee shirt was falling off her shoulder, revealing a blue, gravity print sports bra. It didn't matter that she was in a pair of impossibly short and impossibly tight spandex, navy blue shorts or that she was wearing a pair of those clunky, plastic ADIDAS sandals with her socks still on from practice. She was the cutest thing that Lucas had ever seen in his life.

He didn't want to disturb her, however, so he silently slid out of the truck and walked around to her side. He grabbed her bag, swinging it over his shoulder and then moved to open the passenger's side door. He leaned over her, trying to ignore the way her blonde hair tickled his face as he brushed past it, and unbuckled her seatbelt. The, he carefully picked up bridal style and made his way towards her building.

It had been an emotionally draining day for the girl and his concern was getting her up to her apartment and into her bed, where he'd tuck her in and allow her to sleep. The hardest part would be sneaking away to drop his truck off home and sneaking back over to her apartment without her waking up and freaking out at the terror of being alone.

What he was not expecting with a flaw in his plan.

When he reached her apartment door, he found a dark haired, eighteen year old boy sitting on the ground, his back against the door and his knees bent, arms resting on top of his knees with his head down.

"Josh?" Lucas froze, still holding his blonde beauty.

"Lucas?" Josh jumped to his feet and his expression hardened when he saw Lucas with Maya in his arms. "What's going on?" He asked, voice lacking all emotion.

"I took her to get something to eat after practice. She wanted to yell at me some more about breaking up wit Riley," Lucas whispered, trying not to wake up the girl in his arms.

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything, she just fell asleep. Listen, let me put her down and you can yell at me or hit me or whatever you want to do to me. I don't want to wake her up, though," Lucas sighed, walking past Josh and towards the door, shaking his key chain out until he found the key to Maya's apartment.

"Why do you have a key to Maya's apartment?" Josh snapped.

"Shawn gave it to me so I could check on her when he's out of town, in case Katy's working late," Lucas rolled his eyes, slightly amused at Josh's jealousy.

Josh followed him into the apartment, sticking close to his side as Lucas walked towards Maya's bedroom, carefully putting the girl down on the bed and placing her gym bag on the floor besides her. He left the room, closing the door carefully behind her, rolling his eyes once more at Josh's first proximity to him.

"I don't want you talking to her anymore," Josh declared, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lucas whirled around, glaring at the older boy with hardened green eyes, his mouth forming a perfectly straight line. Because he had never heard anything that angered him more in his entire life.

"You don't want me to talk to my best friend anymore? The girl that I give rides to on a daily basis? The girl who's step-father trusts me to watch her when she's home alone? The girl who looks at my mom like another mother, even more so than she does Topanga?" Lucas asked, unable to hide the bitterness and resentfulness from his voice.

"Since when do you two spend all this time together?" Josh asked.

"We always have," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Ever since we met, we've been best friends. She teases me like crazy and I annoy the shit out of her, but that girl's my best friend and I wouldn't change that if I could," Lucas insisted.

"You like her," Josh said. "Holy shit, you're in love with her. That's why you broke up with Riley, isn't it?" Josh asked, an amused smirk spreading across his face.

"So what if I do? She already knows that," Lucas said.

He knew it wasn't the smartest decision he'd ever made, but he had to do something to wipe that cocky grin off of Josh's face. He couldn't bare to look at it for another second. He hated it and he hated Josh even more for wearing it.

"What do you mean she knows?" Josh froze.

"I told her today, when we got dinner. Josh, I don't care if she decides to stay with you or not. I just want her to be happy. It's all I've ever wanted. If you're what's gonna make her happy, I'll stand by and watch. But I'm not going to use Riley to try and get over it. I'm going to sit on the sidelines and wait for my chance with her," Lucas stated, trying to remain calm.

"You think you could ever stand a chance after being with Riley?" Josh asked, eyebrows raised.

"Eventually," Lucas shrugged. "She can't fight the truth forever," He smirked.

"I'm going to make sure that you never stand that chance, Lucas Friar. I'm not giving her up without a fight," Josh promised, turning on his heel and stalking out of the apartment.

Lucas stood there, smirk on his face as he shook his head at Josh's stupidity. He couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that the moron had just left a boy who had just confessed to loving Josh's girlfriend alone, with Maya, in the girl's apartment.

And he claimed he wasn't going to ever give Lucas a chance to get with his dream girl?

Then again…Lucas was going to be alone with Maya in the apartment for most of the night regardless on what Josh did. One way or another, he would have wound up there for the night, because if Maya woke up without him, he would never hear the end of it.

He had tried that before, and she had lost it. He had woken up to fifty missed calls, ten voice mails and over one hundred text messages from the panicked blonde, overcome with worry about the boy. He had promised it that he would never leave her alone again. He had sworn that, no matter what, for as long as she wanted him, he would be there.

It was the fact that she had made him make that promise to her that he knew there was hope for the two of them. They could have a future together, because Maya felt safe with him. She couldn't sleep without him.

She hadn't asked for Josh to take Lucas's place once she started dated the dark haired boy. Instead, she had insisted that Lucas continue to stay, because it was their little secret. And as long as Maya wanted him to fall asleep with his arms wrapped around her every single night, her head resting on his chest, he knew that there was a chance for the two of them to be together.

* * *

"He was fucking with Maya," Josh said, storming in Riley's room and slamming the door behind him, not caring if he woke up a sleeping Auggie or distracted a studying Riley.

"What?" Riley's head perked up, looking away from the history textbook, covered with a book cover to match the color of her history notebook and dropping the matching highlighter in shock. The matching pen rolled off the bed as the highlighter knocked against it.

"Lucas was _carrying_ her into her apartment," Josh rolled his eyes, dropping down onto the bay window.

" _What?"_ Riley shrieked, jaw dropping and eyes growing wide.

"She wanted to yell at him for breaking up with you, to try to get some answers and talk some sense into him. And on the way home she fell asleep and he carried her into the apartment. And, then I figured out that the asshole's in love with Maya. He claims he's not going to try anything, but he said he didn't want to lead you on anymore because it wasn't fair to you," Josh rolled his eyes.

"Awe, _Lucas,"_ Riley cooed, falling back against her mount of pillows stacked up at the head of her bed, eyes sparkling.

"Riles, he's in love with your best friend," Josh pointed out.

"That's not Maya's fault," Riley shrugged, lifting herself back up and sitting crossed legged on her bed.

"But she knows he likes her and she didn't tell you," Lucas said.

"She doesn't have to tell me. Her not telling me just proves that it doesn't mean anything to her that he does. Besides, it's not her fault that he likes her, regardless of whether or not she knew. And he didn't break up with me to be with Maya. He broke up with me so that I could move on and find somebody who loves me the way that he loves Maya. How can I be angry with him for being the guy I fell for back in the seventh grade?" Riley asked, reaching over the side of her bed to pick up her sparkly, bright orange pen.

That was the type of girl that Riley was. All it took was somebody claiming they were trying to protect her-that they wanted to do something nice for her-and she was blinded by their kindness. She tried so hard to look for the best in people that it was impossible for her to be angry with anybody, no matter what they did to her.

She couldn't even be mad at the boy who had broken her heart. He didn't blame her for not being mad at Maya, because the blonde hadn't really done anything wrong. But, Lucas deserved some of her Riley's anger. He didn't deserve to instantly be forgiven just because he had given some half-assed excuse about wanting to protect Riley's feelings. What about the two years he had spent as her boyfriend, perfectly content with leading her on?

What made him suddenly decide to change his mind? Why was he suddenly about to turn around and give up a relationship with Riley, just to sit on the sidelines and hope for a chance with Maya?

"Besides, he's going to give up a relationship when we all know he's a commitment type of guy, just to sit on the sidelines and hope that one day something happens that makes Maya be single. And that Maya will consider dating him. And we all know she won't, because she's never going to come to me and ask me if I'd care if they were dating. I wouldn't because I just want them to be happy, but….well, we all know how Maya is," Riley shrugged.

"You'd be okay with Maya dating Lucas? Your ex-boyfriend? And you'd be okay with your uncle's girlfriend leaving him?" Josh asked, expression hardening.

"Nobody said Maya is leaving you," Riley sighed. "Seriously, calm down, okay? There's no reason for you to be this upset. I'm the one who lost my boyfriend, and I'm okay. So, get over it," Riley said.

"I guess you're right," Josh sighed. "I just…when I first saw Maya and Lucas interact with one another, I knew that there was something there. The chemistry was undeniable. And I started to get worried because, no matter how much I pushed her away, I wished I could have her. And then I heard that she liked him and I knew I had to do something and I had to do something fast. So, I finally put aside my feelings with the age difference and I made a move and….well, a part of me is always going to be afraid that she's going to realize how much easier it could be with Lucas," Josh sighed.

"She loves you, Josh. Just accept it and enjoy it. Don't mess it up," Riley said, shooting him a warning look on the end of her phrase.

"I don't want to lose her," Josh replied.

"Then stop being such a jag weed," Riley stuck her tongue out.

Josh smiled, shaking his head at his goofy niece. She refused to swear unless she was really angry, and instead used goofy insults instead in the place of realistic swear words that the receiver could actually understand. He knew that she was really calling him an asshole when she said jag weed, because he had been forced to listen to her fake swear words for years. But, to anybody else? They'd just think that Riley was absolutely insane.

But, he had to admit that his conversation with the girl definitely made him feel better. As he left her room, ready to head back to his dorm after a long night, he knew that everything was going to be okay. All he had to do was reinforce the idea in Maya's head that they belonged together.

Because, if Lucas and Riley weren't going to be the next Cory and Topanga, it meant that he and Maya could fill that spot. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

* * *

Maya Hart opened the door to her apartment, ready to leave and head off to the subway to go and meet Riley, assuming they were back to their usual routine from before Lucas had entered the picture, and almost ran directly into Joshua Matthews, her adorable college boyfriend. In his hands was a bag from Starbucks and a large, iced, white chocolate mocha.

Maya grinned, accepting the items from her boyfriend and putting them down besides her. And then she jumped into Josh's arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck and smiling as she kissed him. Her smile widened as Josh's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he lifted the short girl off of the ground.

"I missed you yesterday," He whispered, setting her back on the ground and resting his forehead against hers.

Maya smiled, feeling her cheeks blush. She was glad she had made Lucas leave through the window to get ready at his own place that day. Josh would not have reacted well to his presence at Maya's place, especially leaving her bedroom. Especially after the conversation the boys had had the night before.

She still wasn't sure what she was going to do about the whole triangle she had suddenly been put in the middle of, but she had to do something. She just didn't know what she could do just yet and she had no idea who she could talk to about everything. At least, not in complete honesty without any biases. She just wanted somebody impartial to talk to, but everybody in her life seemed to have a pre-determined side to take in the matter.

"I'm glad you're here," She grinned, unwinding herself from his grasp and picking up her breakfast. "But don't you have class?" She frowned, falling into step besides him.

"Not until ten. I have time to give my girlfriend a ride to school and surprise her with breakfast," he grinned that crooked grin that never failed to melt Maya's heart. "So, come on, let's get you to school, my little artistic genius," He slung an arm over her shoulders, sliding it down to her waist and giving her a tight squeeze.

"I should text Riley," Maya said, leaning against Josh's strong arms. "It's her first day without Lucas bringing her to school and I should make sure she's not waiting on me to catch the subway," she explained.

"Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about Riley," Josh smirked, stepping onto the elevator of Maya's building.

"Why's that?" Maya frowned.

She somewhat worried that maybe Josh knew something that she didn't. That maybe he had mentioned to Riley about seeing Lucas at the apartment the night before. She was terrified that Riley was angry with her for not completely ignoring Lucas after the breakup. She couldn't stand the thought of Riley hating her over something so foolish, but at the same time…she couldn't really blame Riley for being angry.

At least, not right away.

It would make sense for Riley to be angry when it first happened. That was understandable because it only made sense that she would need time for the wound to heal. It was all still fresh.

But, eventually she would be okay.

Until then, Maya just had to figure out her own feelings about the situation. Because she could not say anything to Riley until she was certain of what she wanted.

A part of her hated herself for not being content with her relationship with Josh. After all, the boy had braved the awful New York City traffic to visit her that morning. He had gotten her her favorite coffee and muffin. He was giving her a ride to school, all because he hadn't gotten to see her the night before. He was risking being late for his class that day, because he wanted to see her.

That should tell her everything that she needed to know about their relationship. She had what she had always wanted. She had Josh. She had the boy she had been obsessing over since she was in the seventh grade. That should be enough to make her happy.

When the competition was Lucas, however, it was a whole different story.

He was every bit as sweet as Josh, if not even more. Lucas was _Lucas._ He was her huckleberry. The boy who she lived to drive insane. The boy who would do anything to please her. He was her best friend and the first boy who had made her forget about Josh. In those moments when she had actually thought she stood a chance with Lucas, Josh was the furthest thing from her mind. He wasn't even an option, because an attractive, incredible sweet and strong as a horse boy was looking at her like she was the only girl in the world.

"Because," Josh smirked as the elevator arrived at the lobby.

Before Maya could roll her eyes and voice her annoyance at Josh's mysterious answer, the elevator door opened and Maya saw her brunette best friend standing in the lobby, goofy smile already on her place.

For a girl who had just been dumped the day before, she looked incredible. Her dark eyes were enhanced by a sparkly, neutral eyeshadow job with a thin line of eyeliner attaching to a dramatic winged eyeliner finish. Long, perfectly curled eyelashes reached all the way up towards her raven, feather bangs. Her cheeks were full of color due to the blush she was wearing and her skin shone with the help of her foundation with just the bit of sparkle mixed in and the perfect conturing job. Make-up had become one of Riley's favorite expressive mediums.

A close second was her wardrobe. That day, she was wearing a white, tank top skater dress with a fitted top and a full, flowing skirt that ended in the middle of her thigh. The waist of the dress was full of pain splatters, with a few streaks dripping down onto the skirt and a few drops splattering the top. A pair of cork-soled wedges with white canvas covering the toes covered her feet. Maya had taken the liberty of splattering paint all over the shoes as well.

A bright red headband was nestled into her dark hair, keeping all of the perfectly straight locks in place. Bright red lips formed a brilliant smile. Maya had never seen her best friend look anymore gorgeous.

"RILEY!" Maya squealed, breaking free of Josh's grasp and shoving her coffee into his hands as she hurried to hug her best friend.

"PEACHES!" Riley shouted out in her usual cheerful voice as she wrapped her arms around her short, blonde best friend to return the hug. "Don't you ever think that you can't be a supportive best friend because you have your own problems again," Riley scolded her, pushing her away and staring her directly in the eyes, holding her hands on the blonde's shoulders firmly.

"I'm sorry," Maya frowned, lowering her head in shame.

"You're forgiven!" Riley gushed, bringing her back in for another hug. "Now, let's get to school and make everyone jealous," Riley winked, hooking her arm through her best friend's as they walked out of the apartment building, Josh following in their wake.

* * *

Lucas was speechless as he watched Riley and Maya walk down the hallways at school that day, side by side and arm in arm.

Like always, they looked like the perfect best friends. Riley, full of sparkles and smiles. Full of color and life.

And then there was Maya, with her dramatic, smokey-neutral eyes, the rest of her face made up to look as though she wasn't wearing any other makeup. Her hair carelessly tossed around, teased and hairspray-ed and scrunched up to perfection to look wild and sexy.

She was dressed in a pair of ass-hugging, dark denim, ultra-distressed shorts that threatened to break every rule that the school dress code offered. Her stomach was broadcasted, showing off her belly button ring due to her cropped, sky blue tee-shirt with ROCK N' ROLL written across in white, graffiti letters. She wore white, Converse shoes with high heels that she'd found in a thrift store with Lucas one weekend and marveled over how vintage they were.

Maya was the one who took his breath away. She was sexy. She was beautiful. She was full of confidence. She was everything that he could ever want and everything that he couldn't have. Not yet, at least. There was always hope for a future, but it was an unlikely future.

"They're something special, huh?"

Lucas jumped at the sound of a voice behind him. He turned around and grinned, grateful to see one of his best friends, Farkle Minkus.

"Sorry I startled you…I heard about the breakup, and I want you to know….I get that you're in love with Maya, and I'm glad you handled things the right way," Farkle explained.

"Who said I was in love with Maya?" Lucas asked, crossing his arms and leaning back against his locker door.

"It's obvious dude. I went over to Riley's last night, while you were with Maya? She knows too, even if she doesn't want to admit it yet. But she accepts it," Farkle explained.

"Maya's never gonna go for it. And she's got Josh. I just….I messed up, Farkle," Lucas sighed. "I messed up big time. I let her go and I listened when she told me to pick Riley. What if I had fought for her? What if I had stood up to them and told them what I wanted? Everything would be so different…"Lucas explained.

"And what if you needed to be with Riley? What if you needed a girl who you weren't really in love with to enforce the fact that you're in love with Maya and no other girl is ever going to make you feel the same way that Maya makes you feel," Farkle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I should have picked some other girl, then," Lucas sighed.

"Luke," Farkle laughed. "Those girls never gave you a chance. You had two options. Angel's food cake or Devil's food cake," Farkle said pointedly.

"I thought that one was just because you were hungry," Lucas teased. "I thought everything wasn't always about them?"

"Come on, Lucas-I think you can agree with me that everything's about them, all of the time. Once you're torn between them, even for a split second, your entire life starts to become about them and everything makes you wrapped up in their little world. Their friendship is something special, but the effects they have on people are dangerous," Farkle explained, looking at the girls as they walked by, following their path with his eyes locked firmly on the two.

Lucas wasn't sure which girl he was more focused on, but he was sure that Farkle had his eyes set on one of the other. That was the way when it came to Maya and Riley. One always won out in the end.

"You can't love one without loving the other, can you?" Lucas asked, following Farkle's gaze after the girls.

"Of course you can't," Farkle agreed. "And you'll love them in two totally different ways, but you'll never realize which way is for which girl until it's too late," He said, nodding sadly as he tore his eyes away from the beautiful girls who caught the attention of everybody around them.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, turning to look at his best friend.

"Don't worry about it. It's far too late for me. But, for you? There's still hope and we're not going to rest until you get your girl," Farkle promised, shooting Lucas that reassuring, contagious grin that was just so true to who Farkle was.

It didn't matter what was going on in his own life. The compassionate boy always took on the problems of the rest of the world and forgot about what his own problems were. Lucas wasn't going to allow him to do that this time, though. While Farkle worked on fixing Lucas's problem regarding the two girls, Lucas was going to be hard at work fixing Farkle's problem with the girls.

Because Lucas was going to make sure that all of his friends got the happy ending that they deserved in the end.


	6. The New Love Triangle

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 6: The New Love Triangle**

 _ **A/N: So apparently the problems with the review was happening to multiple authors throughout the website, but everything is fixed now! So, I'd just like to thank all of you for the amazing feedback so far with the story. I can't wait to hear about what you guys have to say no.**_

 _ **A/N2: I'm trying not to drag this out, but I really want to use some of the season 3 episodes as flashbacks (mainly Ski Lodge, because I hear there's supposed to be some Josh/Lucas/Maya trouble happening) so it's getting a little complicated. As a result, the next chapter may take a bit of time to come out in comparison to the other chapters so that I can take some time to figure out how to work that moment in properly without dragging out the story as a whole or making you guys wait over a month for the next update. You should get a new chapter by Saturday, at the latest.**_

* * *

"Zay, can we talk?"

Isaiah Babineaux turned around, smirking at the girl standing in front of him. He had always found the girl to be beautiful, ever since his arrival in New York City back in the eighth grade. But, he had known from the beginning that she was off limits.

No matter how badly he wanted her, he could never have her. And that was alright with him, because there were plenty of other girls that caught his eyes. This particular girl wasn't anything special to him. Not in the way that she was to one of his best friends. She was better looking than any other girl he'd ever seen before, but she didn't set his heart into overdrive the way that she did for his friend.

Maya Hart was something special, alright, but she wasn't the one for Zay and he was content with keeping her around as his very best friend.

After all, with all of the ways Lucas had talked about the blonde beauty in his phone calls to Zay, he knew that Lucas would kill any other guy who considered going after the girl. Lucas was obsessed with the girl and he would do anything to get her. That much was clear from the very beginning.

Which was why Zay had been so confused when he had arrived in New York City and seen Lucas obsessing over some silly brunette with a goofy personality. A girl who acted like the female equivalent of Zay himself.

Riley Matthews was beautiful in her own right. Zay knew he'd be lucky to get a date with either of the two girls. But Lucas had never spoken about Riley the way he had spoken about Maya. Yet he seemed to be obsessed with Riley when Zay arrived. He cared too much about what the girl thought about him and was doing everything he could to hide his true self from the girl who idolized him.

Nothing about Lucas when Zay had first arrived in New York City made sense. He was nothing like the strong, stubborn, protective boy that had risked expulsion to defend his best friend. He was, instead, the guy who acted like a moral compass. He tried to always look on the bright side of everything. He was Mr. Perfect, as Maya liked to tease.

At first, it had confused Zay. How could a person change so drastically in only one year? It just didn't make any sense.

And then he had seen Maya and Lucas interact, and it had all started to make sense.

Lucas had always been the Riley to Zay's Maya.

Zay was the wild one. He was insane. He was impulsive. He acted without thinking. He wanted to have a good time. His life revolved around being the goof ball. His mouth was enough to get him into serious trouble.

It had always been Lucas who had kept him grounded. Lucas had kept him safe from harm. Nothing bad could happen to him if he had Lucas.

It was part of the reason that his parents had decided on the move to New York City. When Lucas was gone, his parents had become terrified that they would lose Zay as well. Lose Zay to himself. Because he was out of control without his reminder that there was always a consequence for his actions.

All of that was true. But, by the same token, Lucas needed somebody to keep him stable as well. He needed somebody to control his anger, to keep him from allowing the rage to take over whenever he began to see red. And that was what Maya did for him. Maya, with one single touch, was able to calm Lucas down and force him to think about his actions. She was the reason that Lucas needed to be in New York City.

And that was the reason that Zay loved Maya so much.

She was good for his best friend and that was important to him. He wanted his best friend to have the very best, and for Lucas, the very best was Maya.

Even when Lucas had been dating Riley, he had needed Maya.

He needed her to keep from boiling over and allowing his anger to get the best of him. He needed Maya to think clearly. He needed Maya to stop him from over reacting. He just needed Maya and that was all there was to it.

"Of course, blondie," Zay grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Anything for my favorite midget," He teased.

"Don't joke," Maya rolled her eyes. "This is serious, okay?" she insisted.

"Where are we talking, then?" Zay asked, immediately slapping on his serious expression, stopping himself mid-laugh.

"The art room," Maya answered, as though it shoulder have been obvious.

And, if Zay really thought about it, when the question of where a private, important conversation should be held was asked to Maya, the art room should have been the obvious choice. It was where Maya did everything and anything that was important to her.

It was where she broadcasted what her heart truly felt.

She wasn't afraid to be true to herself in that room. It was that room where Zay first realized that Maya was in love with Lucas. He had seen plenty of her paintings throughout the year and he had been able to notice the one similarity in all of them. They were all, somehow, related to Lucas Friar.

Whether it was a picture of his front door, of his bedroom, something done completely in his favorite color, a bush full of huckleberries or a Texas-styled piece of scenery, Zay knew that Maya used Lucas as a core of all of her heartwork.

Because Lucas Friar had the key to her heart.

Knowing all of that, Zay was already sure that he knew exactly what Maya was going to want to talk to him about about that morning during the free period they shared.

* * *

"I need to know something," Maya stated, once her easel was set up in the art room. "When did you know that Lucas liked me? And don't deny it, because I know that you always knew," she replied, studying the blank piece of paper in front of her as though it held all of the answers to the world's problems.

"He was going to kill that Joey kid. Back in Texas, he wouldn't have walked away. He would have knocked him to the ground and the kid would be in the hospital. But, he stopped himself," Zay said.

"Because of Riley. Secret of life, right? People change people," Maya nodded, beginning to draw with the piece of charcoal she had selected.

"No," Zay laughed. "Because of you," He responded.

"How do you figure that?" Maya laughed, shooting Zay a look full of disbelief. "I mean, come on. I was turned on by that side of Lucas and Riley was marveling over how he was better than some kind of jerk who went around punching everyone," Maya argued.

"Yeah, but the look in your eyes said that you never would have forgiven him if he did anything like that. Your entire face when you first walked into the hallway said that you didn't want to be wrong about him. And he saw that as soon as you got to the front of the mob. And he didn't want to let you down. He's never wanted to let you down," Zay explained.

"He hated that I called him the Moral Compass. He hated being Mr. Perfect," Maya insisted, doodling away wit her charcoal piece.

"Nah," Zay shook his head. "He loved that you thought so highly of him. But, the guy in him wanted you to see a bad boy side of him. He knew that that turned you on and what guy wouldn't want to be able to seduce a girl like you," Zay smirked.

"All this time….I gave up everything I could have had with him," Maya sighed, placing the piece of charcoal down.

"Maya, I don't know why you think that this is the end. Because, the thing is…it's sort of the beginning. He's ready to fight for you. All you have to do is give him an opening," Zay explained.

"Zay, it has to be the end, because….well, I don't think that Riley would ever forgive me if I went after Lucas. She loved him, and she's never going to be okay with him dating somebody else. Especially if that somebody is me," Maya sighed, going back to her drawing.

"You can't spend your whole life protecting her. Eventually, you're going to resent her. Friends get into fights. They do things that make the other one angry. That's the way that true friendship works, Maya. You're going to have to do something to make yourself happy eventually, and if she can't handle that, she doesn't deserve a best friend like you anyways," Zay told her.

* * *

Riley knew exactly what Josh was doing.

He was doing whatever he could to drill it into Maya's head that he was the perfect boyfriend. The guy that she should be with.

But, he was overdoing it. He wasn't acting like Josh. Nothing about him was truly him with the way he was currently acting. The Josh that Maya had started dating never did those sweet gestures. He didn't show up to randomly surprise her.

Maya was loving it, of course, but that was because it was the type of treatment she deserved. She deserved to be treated like a princess. She deserved to be looked at like she was the best thing that had ever happened to somebody. But, that treatment should not have come from fear that some other guy would step in and treat her right.

Lucas would treat her right. Lucas would be that guy, and Riley knew that. She knew that, because Riley had received the same type of treatment when she was dating Lucas. And when Riley was Lucas's girlfriend, he wasn't in love with her. He liked her enough, but he didn't love her the same way that he loved Maya. Yet he still treated her like a princess, so she could only imagine how much he would spoil Maya.

And, as much as it would kill Riley to see Maya with Lucas, she couldn't just stand by and allow her to put her faith in somebody who didn't deserve it. And Josh definitely didn't deserve it. It had taken Lucas confessing his feelings for Maya to make him step up his game. Maya deserved better. Riley wanted better for her best friend. And if putting aside Riley's own feelings, the same way Maya had for years, would bring her happiness, that was what she'd do.

Still, she didn't know what Maya wanted. She had no idea what her best friend's feelings were and that needed to change. She needed to have a long heart-to-heart with her best friend at the Bay Window, because she needed to know whatever it was that would make Maya happy. And once she knew that, she would dedicate her life to making it possible for the blonde.

The hardest part of Riley's plan was going to be getting Maya to talk, though. She was going to need to come up with a brilliant trick to get Maya to actually sit down and talk about her feelings in an honest way.

Lucky for Riley, she had been dealing with Maya and her secretive nature for years. She knew every possible strategy to get Maya to be honest with her.

The only other problem she could imagine facing?

Getting to Maya before Josh did.

All it would take was one attempt from Josh to have some elaborate surprise for Maya and she would fall for it.

Because Maya was going to believe everything Josh was currently doing. All of those tricks would be believed, because she wanted to think that she made the right choice. She didn't want to have to face the truth.

Maya admitting that she was in love with Lucas and wanted to take advantage of the situation at hand to try to have a relationship with him was inconceivable to the blonde. Riley knew that as well as anybody else. The blonde hated to be wrong, and she would especially hate to be wrong bout this situation.

Being wrong about the certain situation at hand meant, in Maya's head, that she was responsible for everything that had happened ever since she had decided that Riley would get Lucas and Maya would take Josh. Nothing was her fault, of course, but Maya would always be the first one to take all of the blame for herself. That was the type of person she was. It was why Riley was so lucky to have her as a best friend.

* * *

"Maya, after the football game tonight I need you to come over. I could really use a sleepover and a girl's night….maybe even a whole girl's weekend?" Riley asked, her voice cheerful as she flashed her friend the goofiest grin she could muster.

"Of course, honey," Maya smiled, turning away from her locker, her hair flipping as she moved, slamming her door shut.

It was the end of the day and the girls were heading to Riley's house for some pizza before they went to the football game that night. Maya, of course, would be cheering, but Riley always went to the games to support her best friend. Before, she had also been going to support her boyfriend who would be playing in the game. Now, it was all about Maya as far as Riley was concerned.

Their tradition was being drastically altered, though, due to the break-up with Lucas. Usually, the girls would go out for pizza with Lucas, Farkle and Zay. Farkle would be Riley's companion at the game, to watch their other three friends either playing in the game or cheering in the game.

Now that Riley and Lucas were no longer together, however, Riley had opted to instead have the two girls go to Riley's house and enjoy some pizza while they got ready for the game. The boys could do whatever they chose to do instead, but Riley and Maya had decided on this new tradition together during lunch, which they had spent in the art room, with Maya working on that same charcoal drawing she had been working on with Zay, as Riley sat there flipping through the binder full of plans for Homecoming and trying to see if it fit into the budget.

"Do you guys want to take the subway or should I call my driver?" Farkle asked, swinging an arm around Riley as he approached the group. "I'm glad we have this Friday ritual, because I haven't talked to you guys in forever," he sighed.

"You were at my house last night, Farkle," Riley rolled her eyes.

"And I called you last night," Maya pointed out.

"Alright, whatever, I get it. You're sick of me, but you're stuck with me. So, what do you want to do? Walk, subway or driver?" He asked the girls, shaking his head at their attempts of offensiveness.

"What are you talking about Farkle?" Riley rolled her eyes.

"Our Friday night, pre-game ritual? We go out for pizza before the game?" he asked, looking between the girls in confusion.

"That was before, Farkle," Riley sighed.

"What? Just because you and Lucas broke up, the three of us can't hang out?" Farkle asked, shooting her a pointed look.

"Of course we can…we just figured that we'd go to my place and eat so Maya could get ready for the game," Riley explained, trying to hide the shock that had overcome her at Farkle's statement.

"Hey! I found you guys in time! Where we heading for some pizza, because I'm starving," Zay said cheerfully, sneaking up behind the group and tickling Maya's sides.

"Lucas isn't coming, Zay," Riley said softly. "You don't have to either, if you don't want to," She told him.

"Riles, I'm not friends with you guys because of Lucas. That's how I met you all. We're friends because I like you guys, so I'm going to follow through with our usual tradition and if Lucas decided he doesn't wanna do it anymore, that's his loss. Besides, I enjoy my free pizza," Zay said, smirking at Farkle who always insisted on paying for the meal.

Whenever they did something in a group when Maya was involved,Farkle insisted on paying. He would never say why, but Riley and Maya were sure it was because he was afraid that eventually Maya would cancel on them because she wouldn't have the money. And he never wanted the financial difference between them to be a problem for their group.

Usually, Maya would hate to be a charity case among her friends, but Farkle was just so adorable about it. She couldn't deny him .

Besides, he was so proud of himself overtime he did something to take care of his friends or help them. Maya would never take that feeling away from him, because she knew that he deserved to feel like a hero every now and then.

'Hey, guys-are we still on for Friday night pizza?" Lucas approached the group, flashing a small smile at Riley, who bit her bottom lip before returning the smile.

Maya, on the other hand, lowered her head and said nothing. She had yet to speak to them both at the same time and was terrified of the outcome.

"We were just gonna bring it to my house and eat, but…yeah, we're still on," Riley nodded, grinning at her friends.

"Well, looks like we've got a new tradition, then, doesn't it?" Lucas asked."

"That's all good with me, but….one question," Zay spoke up. "Do we have to walk in through the window?"

* * *

It was just like old times: the five of them, scattered throughout Riley's bedroom.

Maya was lying on her stomach, legs bent at the knee, as she munched on her slice of cheese pizza with a large, antipasti salad in front of her, all of the parts she didn't eat picked out of the salad and tossed towards Zay, leaving a scattered pile of food surrounding the goofy boy positioned in one of Riley's oversized bean bag chairs. Maya always tossed the food she didn't like at Zay, prompting him to attempt to catch the food in his mouth. He never succeeded in doing so and always ended up making a mess.

Riley was sitting besides Maya, legs crossed pretzel style in front of her with her plate balanced on her legs. She had her own caesar salad with a slice of pizza besides it. A bottle of flavored, sparkling water was resting against her legs and Maya's Sonic Bliss water was besides it, fallen over due to Maya's constant movement.

Farkle was in another bean bag chair, besides Zay, eating his plate full of pizza and wings and chugging through cans of soda as though his life depended on it. Lucas was at the bay window with his food in his lap as he laughed at his friends antics, eating a plate of food even fuller than Farkle's plate.

"Everything's going to be okay, isn't it?" Farkle asked suddenly, tossing his fourth can of soda to the side with a bright, hopeful smile on his face.

Riley and Lucas looked at one another from across the room, waiting for the other one to rect to what Farkle had asked the group. Maya and Zay each looked at their prospective best friend, waiting tensely to see what was going to happen.

"Yeah, I think so," Lucas nodded, flashing Riley a grin.

"Everything is definitely going to be okay, Farkle. It's already back to normal," Riley nodded, smiling right back at Lucas.

Maya breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the way Riley was coping with the breakup.

Her friends were right. Everything was going to be okay. Everything already was back to normal. They were set.

Maybe if Maya kept repeating it in her mind, she would eventually believe it.

* * *

"Alright, alright-how's it look?" Maya called out, waltzing from Riley's walk in closet, back into the room, full of confidence.

The cheerleading team had just purchased new uniforms and Maya wanted her best friend's opinion on the new ensemble, which was far more revealing than the older version of the uniform. It was more comfortable, allowing for better movement for routines which would help them in competitions, but it showed plenty of skin that Maya wasn't completely comfortable with showing.

She was so self-conscious about it that she had sent the boys from the room. Yet, despite her insistence that only Riley see her in her uniform before the game, when she walked back into the room the boys were still sitting there in the same positions they had been in when she had left.

Lucas was lying across the bay window, one leg bent up and the other lying out in front of him as he carelessly tossed a mini football into the air, catching it and repeating the process. Farkle was already working on homework that he had the weekend to do, with his chemistry notebook in his lap and his notebook juggled along with it, a pen tapping against his mouth. Zay was in his bean bag chair, playing a game on his phone and yelling at the character he was using as though it were the game's fault he was losing.

And Riley was waiting expectedly on the bed, sitting upright with a bright smile on her face that only brightened even more when she spotted her best friend.

Maya's hair was still undone, falling in a mess of curls down her back. She hadn't change her makeup since school, so she still had neutrally smoky eye without much of anything else going on for her.

But, het long, muscular legs were left bare due to the shortness of her pleated navy blue skirt. The entire thing was made of loose pleats that flapped around her legs with every motion. Her silver sparkly spanx were broadcasted every single time one of the flaps moved. A cropped, form fitting, navy blue and white with silver accents top broadcasted BOBCATS across the front and ended just at her belly button. With the warm weather, they weren't wearing a mock neck crop top underneath, so her arms were bare.

"Riles!" Maya snapped, stomping her bare foot. "I thought you were going to kick them all out while I changed!" She whined.

Zay glanced up from his phone, dropping it down onto his lap as his jaw dropped and eyes widened in shock. He immediately snapped his mouth shut, but kept his eyes focused on Maya, still in their wide eyed state of shock.

"Cheerleading…hot….Maya….OW!" He protested, tearing his attention away from Maya to glare at Lucas, who had chucked the football at him.

"Stop gawking at her. She's uncomfortable enough," Lucas said, but his eyes were locked on Maya.

As soon as she had entered the room, he had sat up straight, legs dangling over the side of the window seat attached to the bay window and a slow smile had begun to spread across his face. His eyes light up as if he had just seen the most beautiful girl in the entire world. Because, to him? He had done just that.

"You look great, Maya," Farkle spoke up, glancing up from his homework to flash his best friend a reassuring grin. "Don't be so nervous."

"Oh my god, my best friend is the sexiest cheerleader in the _world,"_ Riley gushed.

"And _my_ best friend is sleeping over at my house tonight," Maya grinned, shaking off her shock at the group of boys sitting there for her mini fashion show.

"Why?" Riley asked sweetly.

"Because you and I are going to a party tonight after the game and your parents won't let us go," Maya rolled her eyes as she made her way across the room.

"Excuse me," Zay spoke up. "Are you insinuating that you'll be going to an after party full of cheerleaders and you won't be bringing _us_?" He asked, reaching out towards Farkle and pulling him in close.

Both boys flashed Maya pleading, adorable looks.

"What about me?" Lucas asked, raising his hand in the air. "I like being included!" He pointed out.

"You guys can all come, but your parents will let you come. Mr. Matthews would never let us go. My mom's not gonna care if we want to celebrate our team's victory," Maya rolled her eyes at the boys's antics.

"Is Josh gonna be okay with that?" Lucas asked.

It was an innocent question.

Coming from Farkle or Zay, Maya would have laughed it off immediately and told them to lay off of her relationship. But, coming from Lucas, it was something else altogether. Especially knowing that Lucas had feelings for her.

Despite the fact that he wasn't asking it to be menacing, the question held on a mocking, almost teasing tone when asked by that particular person in that particular circumstance. The fact that he had voiced the question gave it a far darker meaning than it should really have. And it caused Maya to freeze, unable to look at the boy who had asked.

"Why would Josh care? It's not like he would want to go to a high school party," Riley rolled her eyes, answering from her best friend.

"Yeah…he gets it. The whole me still needing to be a part of the high school scene sometimes, even though he's over it," Maya answered, forcing a smile onto her face, as though she wasn't over analyzing everything.

It was going to be hard, trying to adjust to this new dynamic in her friendship. Knowing that Lucas had feelings for her. Unsure of her feelings in regards to her part in the Joshua-Maya-Lucas love triangle. Fearing what Riley would do if she and Lucas ever tried to form a relationship. Acting as though she didn't know about Lucas's feelings.

But she was going to have to do it, because she was Maya Hart and that was what she did. She put on a brave face and powered her way through everything that could cause her trouble in life. She pretended like she was okay, even when she wanted to break down, because she knew that the people in her life depended on her to be the strong one. She needed to protect everybody around her and that meant ensuring that nobody knew about her weak side.

Sometimes that got hard. It got sad. It got tiring. It even got a little lonely. But she did it, because she worried about what would happen if she tried to shake things up. She was certain that the world would collapse if she tried to share some of its burden. So, instead, she opted to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, by herself.

So, she would slap on a smile. She'd toss her head back and burst into hysterical laughter. She would gossip with Riley. She would mockingly flirt with Zay. She would joke around with Farkle. And she would tease Lucas.

She would be the perfect girlfriend. The best friend. The ideal listener. The shoulder to cry on. Whatever role she was asked to take, she would take and she would do it perfectly. That was the way that she operated. Doing her very best to please everybody around her. To make sure that they got what they wanted.

* * *

It was the middle of the first quarter when he showed up.

Dressed in a black leather jacket, dark denim jeans with beat up black Converse and a plain white v-neck tee-shirt, Joshua Matthews caught the eye of every single girl that he passed. The gorgeous, pale skinned boy with the dark hair and crooked grin was something to behold for the girls of Abigail Adams High School.

He was clearly older. He was tall. He was solid. And he was something different from the boys they were used to seeing.

Besides, he radiated confidence that high school boys just weren't capable of broadcasting. And confidence was sexy, especially when it came from somebody who looked like Josh and clearly had a reputation for being a bad boy.

Unfortunately for all of those girls, the shirt broadcasted in handwritten black script that "MY HART BELONGS TO A CHEERLEADER", ensuring that everybody knew that not only was he dating a cheerleader, but that the cheerleader he was dating just so happened to be Maya Hart. The beautiful, blonde, center of attention cheerleader who nobody would have ever expected to see in a cheerleading uniform.

Then again, nobody would have ever expected a guy like Josh to date a cheerleader.

The bad boy, rebel without a cause, music-loving college age boy did not seem like he would be the type of guy to date a cheerleader. He seemed like he would prefer a girl with an attitude as bad as his own.

Yet, from the way his eyes had immediately locked on Maya and brightened instantly, it was clear that the blonde haired girl had his heart.

And it just added to the jealousy that the majority of girls in the sophomore class felt towards Maya. Because, if a girl wasn't jealous of Maya, it was because she was jealous of Riley. They were, without a doubt, the two most popular girls in the sophomore class.

Which was why, as soon as people started to notice the way Josh looked at Maya and the way Lucas looked over at Maya, staring long and hard after every successful play he had a part in completing, the rumors began to fly about the three of them.


	7. Party Party

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 7: Party Party **

_**A/N: I love that some of you noticed the Hamilton reference in an earlier chapter! That's my newest Broadway obsession. Anyways, this chapter is where everything gets really spicy, because I finally figured out the perfect way to continue the story while also waiting for Ski Lodge to premier so I can work what I have planned (hopefully) into the story. I also started to use some flashbacks, so the next chapter may take a bit longer because I'm going through and figuring out the order of the episodes according to production, rather than when they aired so that I can make sure everything makes perfect sense. As always, I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to hear what you think!**_

* * *

The after party, like always, featured a household of drunken teenagers. Mostly, the students who were invited to the parties were juniors and seniors. But, Maya, being the future captain of the cheerleading squad, was always invited by Ashleigh Thomas and Melody Harper. This particular party was at Ashleigh's house, as her parents were usually out of town and she was one of the few members of the cheerleading team or football team who lived in a full, one-family house rather than an apartment complex.

Ordinarily, the nights all played out in exactly the same way for Maya and the rest of her friends.

Farkle and Zay would turn into silly, goofy drunks who worked their way around the party together, flirting with every girl in sight. When they weren't trying to get a date for the next night, they were playing beer-pong together, trying to show off. Only, that was where they were at their best. With Farkle's math skills and Zay's athletic abilities, the pair sunk in every single shot they took.

Riley had three levels. When she was just a little buzzed, she was a happy drunk. She loved everybody and went around telling everybody that they were her favorite person ever. When she was getting tipsy, she was loud and emotional. Her constant mood swings at that level terrified even Maya, who was used to seeing Riley at her absolute worst. And then there was this third level, which none of the group had ever seen before. In this state, she was flirtatious and all over whatever guy she was talking to.

Lucas was the protective one. He'd have a few beers and call it quits. Usually, his limit was two and he had them early into the night before switching to water, working to sober up so that he could drive everybody home to save them from getting into trouble with their parents.

And Maya was the life of the party. When she wasn't playing beer pong, she was on the dance floor with Ashleigh and Melody. She never failed to have a drink in her hand, yet no matter how much alcohol she consumed, she was never close to black out drunk and she was far from a sloppy drunk. The worst she had to deal with was an awful hang-over the next day.

But, this particular party was different.

It wasn't just the five friends all hanging out together. Joshua Matthews was there as well, which excited every single girl in the room, except for Riley and Maya, who knew that trouble was brewing with him and Lucas in the same place.

Due to Josh's presence, Lucas was out of his mind drunk. As in, drunker than the group had ever seen him before. He hadn't limited himself to beer and he'd had way more than just two drinks.

It was like he was playing a drinking game with himself. Every time Josh dragged Maya onto the dance floor, he took a shot. When Josh would flirt with Maya, he'd take two. If Josh touched Maya, he finished his drink. When Josh would kiss Maya? He chugged an entire can of beer in one attempt.

Josh was just as bad as Lucas. He was getting every bit as drunk.

The drunker the two got, the more competitive they got.

The group understood why Lucas had never wanted them to see him drunk before. They understood why he had never allowed himself to be drunk before. When he was drunk, Texas-Lucas came out. And, unlike when Texas-Lucas was unleashed in his sober mindset, even Maya couldn't calm down a drunken Texas-Lucas.

During one of Farkle and Zay's breaks from beer pong, the two were sitting with Riley, Maya, Lucas and Josh. As Riley flirted with Zay, Farkle tried to lighten the mood for the other three. Every not and then his eyes would wonder off towards Riley and Zay and he'd shake his head, tearing his eyes away from the pair. It was clear, though, that Zay wasn't interested in the brunette girl, despite her almost sluttish flirting.

Maya was going to have to worry about the Farkle and Riley situation and figure out what role Zay played in the mess afterwards, though, because as Josh placed his hand on Maya's knee, Lucas's eyes darkened. As he slowly slid his hand further up her leg, leaning down to kiss the nape of her neck, Lucas finally snapped.

"Could you keep your hands off of her for five minutes so she could enjoy a night with her friends?" He shouted, jumping to his feet.

"Got a problem?" Josh asked, smirking at the younger boy.

"Of course I do! You've been harassing her all night. Maya hates PDA and you've been forcing it on her all night. Knock it off," Lucas glared, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Haven't heard her complaining yet," Josh shrugged, pulling Maya closer to him.

"Josh, lay off a little," Maya muttered. "And Lucas…just…let it go," She sighed.

"Oh, now that your precious little Huckleberry's got a problem, you're gonna act all innocent?" Josh rolled his eyes, pushing Maya away gently and standing up.

"That's not what I'm doing!" Maya protested.

"You're taking his side, Maya! You've got some sort of feeling for him, don't you?" Josh asked, turning his back to Lucas to yell at her.

"Don't get mad at her-if you've got a problem with our friendship, you can take it out on me," Lucas snapped, grabbing Josh by the shoulders and yanking it around to face Lucas.

"What are you-"

Before Josh could finish, Lucas had him up against the wall in the same way he had held Joey against the lockers back in the eighth grade.

"Don't you _ever_ yell at Maya again, you got that?" Lucas asked, his voice low and rough.

He was acting exactly like he had back in the eighth grade when he had defended Zay against Joey. But, unlike how Maya had been turned on by it back then, not it terrified her. All she wanted was for it to stop.

Not because she was afraid of Lucas getting hurt. She knew that there was no way Josh was going to be able to hurt Lucas. He was, after all, strong as a horse. He didn't even need to try. He just was. And she didn't particularly care about Lucas hurting Josh because he sort of deserved it.

She just didn't want Lucas's Texas side to come out and take over. She knew that he was terrified that if he unleashed it even once, he wouldn't be able to stop. He thought that it would take over and ruin the reputation he had made for himself.

"Now, I could let you go right now and you can walk away and tomorrow you can apologize to Maya and accept whatever response she gives you," Lucas offered, eyes narrowed into harsh, deep green slits. "Or I can knock some sense into you and show her that she never should have picked you, because you're not man enough for her," He finished with a shrug of one shoulder, flashing Josh a smirk.

"Maya," Riley snapped her attention away from Zay. "You need to stop them…you're the only person who can control him when he's like this," She insisted.

"I don't…what can I…"Maya sat there in a state of panic, eyes wide as she glanced around between her friends, hoping one of them would give her an answer to her problem.

"I'm not afraid of you, Huckleberry," Josh smirked.

And that was all it took to set Lucas of.

He tore Josh away from the wall, throwing him onto the ground and he was on top of him immediately. He instantly starting slamming his fist into Josh's face, over and over again without missing a single beat. One arm kept Josh trapped to the ground, unable to fight back while Lucas's lefts kept Josh's arms pinned to the side. And Lucas's free hand continued to swing back and forth.

"Lucas, _stop!"_ Maya shrieked,immediately broken from her trance.

She jumped forward, placing her hands on Lucas's shoulders and yanking him backwards. He tried to fight against her, but the constant pleading and the use of his first name got to him after about thirty seconds.

He relaxed, moving away from Josh and wrapping his arms around Maya, his chin resting on the top of her head. With her there, positioned safely against him, he didn't have a single concern in the world. He couldn't imagine doing anything to risk the position he was currently in and it immediately calmed him down.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," Lucas whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry I disappointed you," He whimpered against her soft, blonde locks.

"You could never let me down, Ranger Rick," Maya said, a giggle escaping despite the serious mood. "I just hate it when you disappoint yourself. And letting go to the Texas side is your worst fear," She reminded him.

"Not if it's for defending you. I will never regret defending you or your honor," Lucas told her fiercely, pushing her away but keeping his hands on her hips, so that she was only an arm's length away as he stared into her eyes.

"My heroic little cowboy," Maya teased, flashing him a half grin, as she was still a little shaken up by the fight that'd just occurred.

"Well, isn't that adorable," Josh said bitterly, climbing to his feet. "My girlfriend rushing to calm down the guy who attacked me instead of worrying about me? Swooning over him and calling him her hero," He glared at Maya, reaching up to wipe blood away from his swelling lip.

"Josh, I think you should head back to your-"

"Shut up, Riley," Josh said, turning around to glare at her. "Go back to falling all over some guy who isn't interested in you and leave my relationship to me. Besides, do you really think that you should be giving anybody relationship advice," He shot out.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

"Maya, I'll handle it," Lucas insisted, gently pushing her behind him as he took a step towards Josh.

"No," Maya said softly. "No, I'll take care of it. I don't need you to protect me, Lucas. It's sweet that you want to, but I can deal with this," She said, trying to remain calm as she spoke.

"You don't have to-"  
"Josh…I don't think we should be together anymore," Maya said, shocking herself with how strong her voice sounded.

"What? You're going to be with Lucas now?" Josh said sarcastically.

"I'm not going to be with anybody. I'm going to be single and you're going to be okay with giving me space and time to think. You're _both_ going to be okay with letting me take my time to figure out what I want, because right now I'm not that interested in either of you for any reason," She stated, glancing at both boys as she spoke.

"Maya…what are you saying?" Riley asked softly.

"I'm saying that…I'm saying that I like Lucas and Josh," Maya said, trying to sound confident, even though inside she was at war with herself.

"Are you serious right now?" Josh asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Josh…"Maya sighed.

"You want me to just wait around for some sophomore in high school to decide that she wants to be with me? How is it even a choice, Maya?" Josh sighed, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the dark, wavy locks.

The words he was using should offend Maya. She should be hurt by how cruel he was being. But he sounded so sad. His tone was full of pain, as though he was suffering from the ultimate betrayal.

That was why Maya couldn't bring herself to hold anything he was currently doing against him. Because she knew that if she decided that she didn't want him and was going to pick Lucas, that Josh would be heartbroken.

He was allowing his pain to take over and that wasn't right. But, at the same time, Maya was throwing a lot of new information at him. All of which could cause him serious pain and heartbreak. That wasn't right of her to do either.

In order to be fair to him, she had to allow him some space. She had to allow him to take a chance at freedom while she figured out what she wanted to do.

And it wasn't fair to Luca to give him any sort of false hope, because he had already been through too much when it came to his feelings for Maya.

All that Maya could do was let the boys go and figure things out without forcing them into remaining loyal to her. She couldn't ask them to sit around and wait for her, ignoring opportunities that could lead to happiness for them, just so she could figure out what would make her happy.

If she truly loved either one of them, she needed to make sure that she was fair to them. She needed to make sure that she gave them the chance to be happy.

And, if they really loved her, then they would be able to wait for her. They wouldn't just move on to the next girl that gave them attention. They wouldn't want to be with anybody other than Maya Hart, because it just wouldn't feel right for either one them.

It was going to be a long, hard road.

And she knew that by declaring her feelings for both of the boys she was risking everything.

She was putting her friendship with Riley at risk. She was risking losing both of the boys, who may decide that she just wasn't worth all of the drama. She was risking absolutely everything for something that she wasn't certain about.

But, the one thing that she was sure about?

In the end, when she finally made a decision on the situation, she would be happy. She would be completely and totally happy. She would know that she made the right decision. She would have somebody who loved her and whom she would love.

For once, Maya would be certain about her status with the people around her. She would know how strong her friendship with Riley was. She would know about how Lucas really felt about her. She would know how much Josh liked her. Everything was going to be okay, but in order for that to happen she was going to have to take the chance.

Because love was something worth fighting for.

Love meant giving somebody the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to. And that meant that she had to take some risks. And, in the end, it would be worth it.

* * *

The next morning, Maya woke up wearing a long sleeved, button down, men's dress short and her cheerleading spanx. She could feel the makeup still on her face and the crispness in her hair letting her know that she hadn't done anything to get rid of the hairspray, gel or mousse from the night before.

With a pounding headache, she glanced around the darkened room she was in.

A black sheet had been hung up in front of the window to block out the sunlight trying to stream in. The lights were snapped off and a line of socks were rolled up underneath the door to stop any light from coming in from the crack between the floor and the door.

On the bedside table besides her was a bottle of Tylenol with the words EAT ME written in sharpie across a sticky note and a bottle of water with DRINK ME written in the same format, It was a homage to one of Maya's favorite books- _Alice in Wonderland,_ and if she hadn't been so hung over she probably would have laughed hysterically at the gesture.

Everything was done with an effort to protect a person from dealing with a terrible hang over, which was exactly what she had.

All that she wanted was a large, super greasy burger with thick pieces of bacon, along with a chocolate milkshake covered in whipped cream.

That, and to know where she was.

The room looked familiar but it was too dark and her head hurt too much for her to focus enough on anything to determine exactly where she was.

She couldn't barely remember anything that had happened the night before.

All that she remembered was a blow out between Lucas and Josh that had ended in her breaking up with Josh and telling both boys that she needed some time to figure everything out.

Which made everything even more confusing for her, because she figured the boys were probably angry with her. She was expecting to receive the silent treatment from the both of them. Yet she was clearly in a male's room and wearing a male's clothes. That meant that one of them had to have taken care of her.

Then again, it could have been Farkle or Zay who had taken her home, but she doubted it. Farkle's house was full of guest rooms and there was no way he was going to change her clothes. She wouldn't recognize anything about the room that she was in at Farkle's house, anyways and there was something familiar about the room she was currently in. And Zay wouldn't have taken the time to hang-over proof his room to make Maya more comfortable in the morning.

It had to be Josh or Lucas.

The sad part was, she couldn't even use the furniture to figure things out.

Lucas slept on bunk beds, something that Maya loved to tease him about. Josh, in his dorm room, had bunk beds to make the best out of the small amount of space he had in his dorm. Both had wooden furniture and in the same quantity. While Josh had two dressers and two desks, Lucas had a dresser, two desks and a bookshelf. With how dark the room was, Maya was incapable of figuring out what furniture was in the room around her.

The only way she was going to be able to figure anything out was if she got out of bed and actually left the room.

Bracing herself for the worst, she threw aside the comforters and crawled out of bed. Straightening out the shirt to make it fall as long as possible, falling to her knees because she was so short, she made her way towards the door. On her way out of the room she pulled her hair up into a sloppy, high ponytail.

As soon as she excited the room she could smell the delicious scent of grease. It didn't matter what it was that the person was cooking. She could smell the grease and she knew that whatever it was would be swimming in grease. Which was all that mattered to her.

Following the scent, she was shocked at the sight that she saw before her.

Bulging back muscles were revealed as a shirtless male stood at the stove with a frying pan in front of him and a mess of burger ingredients on the counter around him. A pair of silky basketball shorts sat low on his hips and when Lucas Friar turned around Maya was shocked at the six pack abs, wide shoulders and perfect V that was revealed by his almost naked state.

"Hey, you're up!" He said, flashing her a bright grin. "Sit down, I'm making you some burgers," He said, nodding towards the kitchen table.

"How'd I get here?" Maya frowned, not moving from the doorway of Lucas's kitchen.

"Farkle had his driver come and bring us all home. Josh threw us all under the bus with Mr. Matthews, because he insisted that he get dropped off there, so Riley ended up going home and she's probably grounded. But, your mom thought you were staying with the Matthews so when we got to your apartment I saw she was gone to go and stay with Shawn for the weekend, so I brought you back here," He explained, turning back towards the stove.

"Did you put me in pajamas?" She asked softly, slowly making her way towards the table.

"You asked me for something to wear so I gave you a shirt. Your sports bra's still on too, because you, uh…well, you got a little hands-y when I was trying to help you change," He said uncomfortable, reaching behind to scratch at his hairline.

"Was I really that drunk? I didn't think that I drank that much last night. And how are you totally fine?" Maya wondered, taking a seat at the table.

"Believe me I was way worse than you," Lucas assured her, turning away from the stove and walking towards her with a perfectly assembled burger on a plate. "But I sobered up pretty fast after that fight Josh and I got into," He admitted sheepishly, sliding the burger in front of her.

It was exactly what Maya had been craving. A thick, half-pound burger nestled between two toasted buns with lettuce, melted blue cheese and crumbled blue across the top with lettuce and slices of bacon layered beneath and above the patty. She immediately took a bite, moaning in pleasure from the burger.

"I should have known I was here….Josh wouldn't have known about the _Wonderland_ reference," Maya said between bites of her burger as Lucas walked towards the table with his own burger.

"You didn't recognize the shirt?" He asked her, a teasing grin on his face.

She glanced down at what she was wearing in confusion. It was a plain shirt, in a pale shade of blue that Maya had carelessly confused for white in the darkness of Lucas's bedroom. She wasn't sure why she was supposed to think that the shirt was anything special, until she remembered one of her favorite middle school memories.

 _****FLASHBACK******_

" _Why would you be dancing with me if you're officially a huckleberry?" Maya teased, trying to ignore the pain eating away at her heart._

 _What she really wanted to ask was why he would be dancing with her when he was pretty much officially declaring his feelings for Riley and their relationship status? Why would he dance with Maya after making such a big deal about wanting to go to the semi-formal with Riley? Why would he do anything that could lead her to believe that she still had a chance when he was officially Riley_ _'s guy?_

 _But, she couldn_ _'t ask that because it meant she would have to admit to having feelings for him that went deeper than friendship. Feelings that went deeper than him being her best friend's boyfriend, whether it was unofficial or not._

 _And she couldn_ _'t do that, because it meant that she would put Riley into an awkward position. Maya knew Riley like she knew her own mind. Nobody would ever find anybody as trusting or as kind as Riley was. If Maya told Riley that she loved Lucas, Riley would silently resign and Maya would be able to have Lucas to herself. Riley would insist that she was fine, but she'd be lying._

 _"_ _No…I'm not dancing with you," Lucas insisted, shaking his head._

 _Maya rolled her eyes, shaking her own head._

 _Sometimes, he did things that ed her to believe that there was hope for them, but when she mentioned it to him or when somebody else brought it up to him he acted oblivious to what he was doing. There was no way to know for sure where she stood with him, because he seemed to ignore all feelings that weren_ _'t centered around a romantic entanglement with Riley._

 _Although, to be honest, he had denied his interest in Riley for a while as well, only acting on his_ _"feelings" when pressure was put onto him by outside forces._

 _Maybe that was why he had that unofficial thing with Riley? Maybe he was just doing what he thought he was supposed to be doing._

 _To test her new theory, Maya danced herself around in a circle, stopping briefly to flash a grin at Farkle who smiled right back, hitting her with a cheerfully flirtatious_ _"how you doin'?" which forced Maya to turn herself back around towards Lucas, who was still dancing in her direction, eyes locked on the blonde with a wistful smile on his face._

 _"_ _I hate to break it to you, cowboy, but you're still dancing with me. And Riley's dancing with that guy," she observed, nodding towards Riley and Charlie who were laughing together, dancing like they were having the time of their lives._

 _And for a brief moment, Maya hated Riley._

 _Because Riley had what Maya wanted so badly. She had everything that Maya had ever wanted and on top of that, she got Lucas. But it wasn_ _'t enough to just get Lucas. She was the first one that Farkle always asked on dates or to dance. She was the one who had two boys fighting over her._

 _But, Maya supposed she should get used to it._

 _After all, Riley was the star and Maya_ _'s role was just to play the supportive best friend._

* * *

"It's the shirt you wore to the semi-formal in eighth grade," Maya whispered, wrapping her arms protectively around herself.

"It's the shirt that I wore the first time I danced with you," Lucas said, a sheepish grin slowly making its way across her face.

"I thought you weren't dancing with me, Ranger Rick," She asked, raising an eyebrow in the air.

"Come on, Maya, we both know that I was dancing with you and Riley was dancing with Charlie," he rolled his eyes.

"Did you like me back then?" Maya asked.

"I was going to ask you to the dance, Maya," Lucas said.

"What?" Maya froze.

"I wanted to ask you, but every time I worked up the nerve something happened to change my mind," He explained.

"What do you mean? What happened?"  
"I'd hear you talking to Riley and you would tell her that if I didn't ask her a week before the dance, you'd look at her and let her know that there was a problem. And after that I just figured that if I ask you, you'd say no because I was supposed to go with Riley," He shrugged.

"Then why'd you get mad when Charlie asked her?"

"Well, I gave up a chance to go on a date with you, to take Riley. I figured the least she could do was actually go with me," he admitted, sneaking a glance up at her as if he were ashamed.

Maya burst out laughing and he joined right in.

* * *

Riley's head was pounding.

She was curled up in bed with the bay window's curtains closed to block in some of the light. Her mother had brought her a large cup of tea and a big breakfast to help her deal with her hangover, before reminding her that she was grounded for the duration of the weekend. Not for going to the party, but for lying about it.

The only reason that bothered her, though, was because she knew that Maya was going to need her. She was certain that at any second Maya was going to show up at the bay window asking her for help about what to do when it came to the Lucas and Josh triangle. And when Maya came, Riley wouldn't be able to send her away but she was going to have to, or risk having a worse punishment.

However, the grounding wasn't really her real punishment. Her parents didn't know it, but the real punishment was leaving her alone with her thoughts, because all that she could think about was Maya and Maya's feelings.

All she could think about was the role she had played in the drama that was currently unfolding. Because Riley had played a part and she had played a large part.

Eighth grade had told Riley everything she needed to know. The changing times told her how Maya felt and they showed her Lucas's reciprocated feelings towards the blonde. But, Riley had been so caught up in her own little world that she had ignored the feelings of her best friend, making her quite possible the worst friend in the world.

She pulled the blankets further around herself, trying to fall back to sleep.

Her head hurt far too much for her to focus on all of the thoughts running around her mind. Thinking about the way she had ignored Maya's feelings for so long, until they were literally shoved into her face when they had gone to Texas made Riley feel worse than any hangover could ever make her feel. Knowing that she had caused so much pain for all of her friends broke her heart.

"Riley," Topanga softly whispered from the door, followed by three soft taps against the door frame to grab Riley's attention.

She rolled over, unable to speak. It caused too much pain to even think about forming a coherent sentence. She was never going to allow herself to consume that much alcohol again. It had been the worst idea that she had ever had.

"Maya's here, and she brought a cure for your little problem," Topanga said, flashing her daughter a teasing grin.

"I'm grounded," Riley groaned, rolling back over. She wasn't in the mood to deal with her mom's pranks to add onto her punishment. She couldn't handle it and she didn't find the jokes funny the way she usually did. There was too much pain throughout her body and there were too many things for her to worry about.

"Did you really think your father and I would take away your Maya privileges? We're not that awful," Topanga rolled her eyes. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that she needs you just as much as you need her right now," She replied, closing the door as she left the two girls alone.

Maya didn't say a single word. Riley didn't say anything either. Instead, the blonde just crawled into the brunette's bed and wrapped her arms around her best friend, holding her tightly. Riley turned around, returning the hug that her best friend had given her. They didn't need to talk. Nothing had to be said. But Riley felt the need to apologize to Maya for everything and she felt the need to talk to her about everything happening.

"Maya….I'm sorry I never listened to you," Riley said.

"Don't worry about it, honey," Maya whispered. "Everything's gonna be okay," She promised.


	8. TNKS FR TH MMRS

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 8: THNKS FR TH MMRS**

 _ **A/N: So, the next two chapters (9 and 10) are either going to be a little boring for you guys or really awesome to you guys, because this chapter is going to be leading into two chapters that are heavy on the flashbacks. One that's centered on Josh and one that's centered on Lucas, as Maya attempts to make up her mind about the two boys. Can't wait to hear what your feedback is so far on the story!**_

* * *

"You tried to tell me…you tried to tell me that you knew Lucas and I weren't meant to be together…"Riley said.

It was late at night on Saturday, after the girls had finished dinner with Riley's parents and they were sitting at the bay window, having one of their typical heart to hearts. But, for a change, the main topic of their conversation was not Riley and her own problems. Instead, the core of their discussion was Maya, and the love triangle she had been pulled into.

"Riley, it doesn't matter," Maya assured her.

"Peaches, if I had listened to you none of this ever would have happened!" Riley whined.

"It doesn't matter. We can't change the past, Riles," Maya insisted.

"But…Maya, I helped cause all of this!"

"No, you didn't. I could have fought for him. He could have spoken up and voiced his opinion. I could have stayed single instead of moving onto Josh when I wasn't over Lucas yet. Zay and Farkle could have told us all how stupid we were being," Maya pointed out, trying to calm her best friend down.

"Maya, do you know when I should have known the truth?" Riley sighed.

"When?" Maya rolled her eyes.

"The week of the semi-formal. Looking back now…Maya, it's all so eye opening. If I had just paid more attention to everything that happened that week….things would be so different right now," Riley shook her head.

"Riley, don't you know that things always work out in the end? Everything happens for a reason and that reason is never to hurt people who don't deserve it," Maya told her, placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"That sounds an awful lot like hope," Riley chuckled.

"Yeah…that's cause it is," Maya nodded.

"I thought that hope was for suckers?" Riley glanced up at her friend from behind a curtain of glossy black locks.

"I used to think that, too," Maya admitted. "And then this quirky little brunette taught me otherwise," Maya smiled at her, pulling Riley towards her so that her head could rest on her shoulder.

"I still feel guilty about not listening to what you were trying to tell me," Riley sighed.

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Maya said blankly.

"Maya, you need to stop acting like you're in the wrong, because you aren't. You tried to warn me that Lucas and I wouldn't work and I didn't listen," Riley insisted. "And that doesn't mean that I was wrong. This isn't anybody's fault, okay? But can you at least admit that I didn't listen to you when you tried to protect my feelings?" Riley pleaded.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, Riley," Maya insisted. "Seriously, I never wanted you to know about what I found out when the yearbooks came out," She said honestly.

"Maybe you didn't, but your subconscious was sending me major hints."

"What does that even mean?"

"You know you remember."

* * *

" _It's this weekend….Lucas hasn't asked me to the semi-formal. We're Riley and Lucas, aren't we, Maya?" Riley asked._

 _Maya was getting sick of Riley_ _'s constant questions about Lucas and his feelings for her. Couldn't Riley see that Maya had problems of her own? And her problems were every bit as important. Besides, Maya was secretly the last person that Riley should go to for advice about Lucas. Because Maya wanted him to herself._

 _"_ _I don't know anymore," Maya sighed. "Just tell me what to say," she begged._

 _She couldn_ _'t be the best friend that lied to Riley to protect her anymore. Not about Lucas, at least. It wasn't fair to Riley to lie about what Maya had found out. It wasn't fair to Lucas and it wasn't even fair to Maya herself._

 _"_ _It's all over the front of my notebook. Riley hearts Lucas forever," Riley insisted proudly, ignoring Maya's annoyed response._

 _"_ _What's on the back of your notebook?" Maya smirked, trying to lighten the mood as he grabbed her friend's history notebook and pulled it into her position._

 _"_ _Riley and Lucas…we're just friends," Riley admitted, biting down on her bottom lip and nodding her head, as though realizing what Maya was trying to get at._

* * *

 _The video was bad from the start._

 _The stupid film about etiquette when it came to the semi-formal dance. Maya was sick of everybody making it such a big deal._

 _It really wasn_ _'t. It was just a normal dance and she would be following her normal routine. Only, this time, Riley would end up with a date and Maya would be alone and end up dancing with Farkle all night._

 _Sometimes, Maya feared that she was going to end up being forced to marry Farkle because Lucas and Riley were going to be together so much that it would force Maya and Farkle into a relationship. The saddest part of Maya_ _'s life when it came to her relationship status was that Smackle and Farkle were together, meaning she couldn't even have him in the end._

 _Everybody had somebody, except for Maya. She was left alone, but that was something that she should have gotten used to by the eighth grade. After all, she should know better than anybody else that people always leave. The best way to commemorate them and keep them around forever, she had found was through her art. But, that didn_ _'t matter to anybody. Her art didn't mean anything to anybody._

 _"_ _Now, let's meet your best gal Sally, who, since you're a gentleman, you asked to the dance at least ten months in advance," the video's obnoxious narrator with its southern and sweet accent broadcasted across the room, irritating Maya more than anything else in the world ever could, but giving her some new material for the next time Riley started up about her angst over a lack of an invitation to the dance from Lucas._

 _"_ _Billy gets it!" Riley shouted out in joy, her head immediately flying off of the desk where she had been resting it. Her arms flew up into the air as she whirled around and glared at Lucas, who's eyes were dead set on the back of Maya's head, not even noticing Riley or her outburst. He was too focused on the blonde._

 _""_ _Billy's dead and all of his friends are dead, too. Except one. No, wait…now he's dead, too," Maya snapped, turning towards Riley and rolling her eyes. Seriously, could Riley just make it through an hour without talking about Lucas and the dance?_

 _She was just done hearing about it. And besides, nobody should have to make ten months in advance. Especially not for a semi-formal._

 _What was Riley going to expect for prom, for god_ _'s sake?_

* * *

" _Riley didn't do anything wrong," Maya said confidently._

 _She always defended her best friend, after all. And while she didn_ _'t completely agree with how Riley had handled the Charlie and Lucas situation, she felt guilty about having forgotten about her loyalty to Riley over the course of the past week and decided this was the perfect moment to step up her game and go back into defending Riley no matter what._

 _"_ _No?" Topanga asked, raising her eyebrows as she stood in Riley's doorway with her arms crossed, staring at the two girls positioned in the bay window._

 _"_ _I think she's just confused about how she' s supposed to feel," Maya stated, but immediately wished that she could take back her words. The way she had worded that statement was going to cause far more trouble than it should and she knew that as soon as the words had left her mouth. But, it was too late because Riley had already turned away from her mother to look at Maya in confusion._

 _"_ _How_ _ **am**_ _I supposed to feel, Maya? I like_ _ **Lucas,**_ _don't I? You were me…how did I feel when you were me? What are me and Lucas?" Riley pleaaded, her eyes welling up with tears as she begged her friend for the truth._

 _"_ _Just tell me what to say," Maya said, eyes locked on Topanga and begging the woman for some help._

 _"_ _You know something. Tell me," Riley insisted._

* * *

" _Well, there was once this girl who had to make a choice between Eric and me," Jack Hunter stated. "She liked me as a boyfriend," He finished._

 _Usually, Riley wouldn_ _'t take advice from somebody she had just met. Especially some guy who was best friends with her Uncle Eric and who thought that Eric was secretly some sort of genius. But, she was desperate and this seemed to be the only person willing to give her any sort of real answer._

 _Rachel, the girl that they were talking about, was just like Riley. She had two amazing guys in her life and they both liked her. And she thought that she liked them both back. But, she liked them in completely different ways._

 _What Riley needed to know was if things would be okay for all of them in the end._

 _"_ _And she liked me-"Eric added, helping his friend with his story._

 _"_ _How? How did she like you?" Riley asked, eyes wide as she clutched her uncle's arm._

 _"_ _She liked me as a brother," Eric informed her._

 _"_ _Are you two still friends?" Riley gulped, fearful for the answer._

 _"_ _You know what…I haven't seen her in a really long time," Jack responded thoughtfully._

 _"_ _Are you two still friends?" Riley asked, turning towards her uncle._

 _"_ _Yeah, we talk all the time. She and I are still great friends," Eric grinned._

* * *

 _"The Dark Ages-"_

 _"_ _They're cutting art classes and you want to talk about the Dark Ages?" Maya's jaw dropped in amazement that_ _ **this**_ _was the moment where Mr. Matthews found it appropriate to teach something matching the criteria, rather than the lives of his favorite students._

 _"_ _The Dark Ages was a time of cultural deterioration."_

 _"_ _What does that have to do with me?"_

 _"_ _The Dark Ages was the decline of the creative spirit of an entire continent," he went on, but at this point Maya was done listening and completely focused on whining._

 _"_ _What about me?"_

 _Lucas grinned at that comment, shaking his head at the distressed whine in the blonde_ _'s voice. He had never seen her so worked up about something before. So ready to fight for a change in what was happening to her._

 _The smile was so broad that Riley, who had been turned towards her best friend_ _'s desk throughout the entire ordeal couldn't help but notice its formation on his face._

 _"_ _The Dark Ages is when they cut the art class at this middle school and you, Maya Hart, yes, you, Maya Hart, the one I'm looking at right here, can't paint anymore," Cory concluded, looking completely proud of himself for his lecture._

 _"_ _You know," Maya said, her usual calm demeanor taking over. "A good teacher lets the students get there on their own," She said innocently, folding her hands in front of her._

 _"_ _Daddy?" Riley's hand shot in the air._

 _"_ _Riley, if you put another purple cat on our fridge, I swear I'm moving to Brooklyn," Cory groaned, staring at his daughter's purple hand._

 _"_ _Scratch my nose! I won't be dry until math and Mrs. Kravitz scratches my nose like she doesn't want to," Riley whined, pulling the attention off of Maya and onto herself._

 _Ordinarily, that would be okay with Maya, who hated to be the center of attention, but even she was a little annoyed with Riley_ _'s pleas for attention. After all, this was the one time that something really mattered the Maya and Riley was whining about an itchy nose and hands full of paint._

 _Cory sighed, shaking his head at his daughter_ _'s failure to grasp the importance of his lesson. Nonetheless, he made his way towards his daughter and complied to her wishes._

 _"_ _That's like a daddy would!" Riley chirped._

 _"_ _So…"Cory said, glancing around the room for some way to get the class back onto the matter at hand. "Why were the Dark Ages dark, Pippin?" He asked, settling on Farkle who always was ready to give an answer._

 _"_ _People lost interest in art and music because it was taken away from them," Farkle responded quickly and effortlessly, as always._

 _"_ _Well, I don't want that for Maya. I want Maya to be happy," Lucas declared, slamming his fist down against his desk in outrage._

 _He was passionate. He was concerned. And he had finally admitted to caring about Maya. About_ _ **just**_ _Maya._

 _After all, Zay was going to be losing his dance classes and Farkle was losing the theater program. But Lucas had only voiced his concern for Maya and what she would be losing if the arts were actually cut from the school._

 _"_ _Hey, Maya, it looks like Lucas here's gettin' all fired up on your behalf," Zay spoke up, poking his head out from behind Lucas to watch Maya's reaction._

 _"_ _Thank you, Lucas," She whispered softly, turning around in her seat to face him with a small smile on her face. "But it's just an art class," She shrugged her shoulders._

 _"_ _I feel bad. They're taking away something you're very good at," Lucas told her, eyes locked on her._

 _"_ _You've never said that to me before," Maya whispered, her voice even softer as she looked up to lock eyes with him._

 _"_ _I've said it," Lucas argued._

 _"_ _Yeah, but not like…straight to my face while you were looking at me. I can't remember you actually l-"_

 _"_ _You're a great artist, Maya."_

 _"_ _Well, he's lookin' at you now," Zay observed, a smirk on his face._

 _"_ _You have a real talent. And I want you to be able to get better and share it with people," Lucas whispered, acting as though Zay hadn't even spoken._

 _The two just continued to stare into one another_ _'s eyes after that, taking in all that had just been said between the two of them._

 _"_ _Now they're just lookin' at each other and not sayin' nothin'. Are they sayin' anything? No? Well, I wonder what they're thinkin'," Zay asked, glancing back and forth between his best friend and the blonde that could break anyone's heart._

 _"_ _I don't want them to take away your art class, Maya," Lucas said, his voice fierce._

 _He sounded as though he was going to allow the Texas side of him to come out again and Maya could feel the shivers beginning to spread across her body at the mere memory of what happened when Lucas allowed his Texas anger to take over._

 _While his aggression was a side that he liked to keep locked away, Maya couldn_ _'t help but be slightly turned on by it._

 _"_ _Bay window," Riley shouted out, whirling around in her seat to look directly at Maya. "Bay window right in five hours!" She declared, her gaze wondering towards Lucas who was still staring at Maya as though she was the only other person in the room._

* * *

" _Well, you are harder to watch than usual. I mean, all broken and pouty and stuff. Lucas used to call me in Texas and tell me about you guys. You were legends. The genius who's loyal and kind. The blonde beauty," Zay jumped up from his seat and started pacing around Topanga's, back and forth in front of the other four students._

 _"_ _Lucas talks about himself like that?" Maya giggled._

 _"_ _He was talking about you," Zay informed her offhandedly, as though that should have been obvious._

 _"_ _Oh…._ _ **oh!"**_ _Maya gasped, shocked at the way Lucas had described her._

 _Riley sat there, watching Lucas_ _'s panicked facial expressions as Zay revealed the adjectives used to describe Maya. She watched Maya blush in response and attempt to fight back a smile at the compliment._

 _There was something there. Something deeper than any of them knew. And that was going to gnaw away at Riley, because she could either admit to knowing that Lucas and Maya actually had feelings for one another, losing her chance with him, or she could continue to live in her state of ignorant bliss where Maya stepped aside so that Riley got to enjoy her unofficial relationship with Lucas._

* * *

"Riley, all of that could have meant so many different things. How were you supposed to know that Lucas and I were interested in one another?" Maya sighed, trying to console her friend.

Yet, after hearing things from Riley's perspective, Maya was actually a little shocked that nobody had ever spoken up about the fact that Maya and Lucas had feelings for one another. She had thought that she had been so discrete in hiding her feelings. And she had been convinced that Lucas had done a perfect job at keeping his own feelings hidden.

Everything that Riley had just said, though, said otherwise.

But, by the same token, in the middle of all of that was the semi-formal, where Lucas had gotten angry about Riley's potential relationship with Charlie. The events of New Years Eve and Texas had happened, where it became clear that Lucas was going to pick Riley as long as she presented herself as an option to him.

The entire love triangle that the three had been a part of in middle school was ridiculous and hard to comprehend. Nobody could figure it out because even the three people involved had no idea what had been going on through the entirety of its duration.

Even now, when there was a brand new love triangle for Maya to worry about, she couldn't figure out the truth behind all of the events that had happened in the original love triangle. All that she could hope for was that this love triangle was a little bit more straightforward.

Of course, it was a continuation of the love triangle that had started back in eighth grade, escalating after the yearbooks had come out and due to a trip to Texas. So, maybe that was too much to hope for.

* * *

Farkle couldn't get over the conversation he had had with Riley the night of the break-up. It kept replaying in his head and he knew that it would continue to be recited in his head until he talked to either Maya or Lucas about it.

The thing was, he had promised Riley that he wouldn't say anything about the conversation to either one of them. He had sworn to her that he wouldn't and he felt that after New Year's, when he had revealed a secret she had begged him not to repeat, he owed her this one. Even if she still trusted him wholeheartedly and believed that he had been looking out for her best interest, he needed to prove to himself that she could still trust him and should still trust him.

He was conflicted, though, because he knew that Lucas was starting to get annoyed with Farkle's desire to always protect Riley, regardless of Maya's feelings.

It was a bit ironic, however, because he was sure that if Lucas had to sacrifice Riley's happiness to keep Maya at her happiest, he would do it in an instant.

This secret was too big for that type of concern though, which was why it was nagging away at him and tearing him apart.

* * *

" _Maya said you may need some company tonight?"_

 _Farkle_ _'s head poked through the bay window, smile in place. Riley was lying on her stomach across her bed, feet kicked up in the air as she worked on some homework. Her hair was piled onto the top of her head in a tumbling, sloppy bun with a few strands falling right into her face, freshly scrubbed clean of any of her makeup. She had on a pair of Victoria's Secret, pale grey, boyfriend styled sweat pants with a hot pink, racer back tank top. He had never seen anybody look anymore adorable than she did._

 _"_ _Farkle!" Riley said, head perking up and smile taking over her entire face._

 _He couldn_ _'t help but grin at how happy she seemed to see him. It made him feel important, as though he were somebody's hero._

 _She sprung from her bed and raced towards the bay window, plopping down on the window seat and bringing her knees up to her chin, resting her head on top of her knees with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs._

 _"_ _She's really sorry she couldn't come tonight," Farkle explained, crawling through the window completely and resting on the window seat._

 _"_ _It's fine, I get that she's got her own problems," Riley shrugged._

 _"_ _Can I tell you something? But you have to promise not to over react and freak out," Farkle said, choosing his words carefully._

 _"_ _Of course, Farkle, you can tell me anything! You know that," Riley gushed. "But…before you do, I'm just going to let you know that if you're about to tell me that you think Lucas likes Maya…well, I already know," She sighed._

 _"_ _Wait, what?" Farkle froze._

 _"_ _Oh, come on! You and Lucas know better than anybody that we've been forcing him into a relationship with me since before he even walked through the doors of John Quincy Adams middle school," Riley rolled her eyes. "He didn't get a choice in the matter and even when we told him he got to decide, we made up his mind for him because we thought he was taking too long. Is it so hard to believe that maybe we didn't make the same decision he would have made?" Riley shrugged._

 _"_ _Riley….he didn't have to sit around and let a year go by making you think he was happy," Farkle pointed out, hating to see her so upset._

 _"_ _It doesn't matter, Farkle…I want them to be happy and if that means sitting by and letting them be happy together…well, Maya did it for me for over a year. She's done it since Lucas showed up in New York. I think it's only fair that I can do the same for her," Riley pointed out, leaning her head against the window besides her._

 _"_ _She's never going to give Lucas a chance unless she knows you're okay with it. And she's never going to ask you if you're okay with it," Farkle reminded Riley._

 _"_ _I know," she nodded._

 _Farkle sat there silently, knowing that there was more to whatever it was that Riley had to say. He was just fearful as to what Riley was going to add._

 _"_ _That's why you can't repeat this conversation to anybody, okay? I'll let them know that I'm okay with them if it comes to that, when I'm ready," She finished, speaking in a rush as though she needed to get it all out in one breathe._

 _"_ _Just…don't wait too long, Riles," Farkle sighed._

 _"_ _Farkle, I want them to be happy. That's all I want. But I'm not as strong as Maya is and I can't sit by and let them be together before I'm completely over everything. It's killing me just to force myself to stay friends with Lucas," Riley said, her eyes beginning to swell up with tears._

 _He hated to see her like that. He hated to see her struggling to deal with her pain. He didn_ _'t want her to hide the fact that she was hurting just because she didn't want anybody else to suffer. But, what was he supposed to tell her to do?_

 _She_ _'d lose Maya completely if she forbade the blonde from a relationship with Lucas._

 _And if she tried to keep Maya and Lucas apart, Lucas would leave her too. And she had to try to stay friends with Lucas from the moment the breakup happened or she_ _'d lose him forever as well._

 _It was a tricky situation and he didn_ _'t envy her for being put in the middle of it._

 _In fact, he felt so bad about the situation she was put in, which was he said-_

 _"_ _I'll do it. I won't tell."_

* * *

Yet, there he was with Lucas Friar, in Lucas's bedroom with Zay, about to tell them everything that he knew.

There was too much suffering happening and Farkle couldn't just sit by anymore and allow his friends to suffer. He couldn't continue to help keep a secret that could cause them any further pain.

If Maya thought that she didn't stand a chance with Lucas because of her friendship with Riley, it meant that she was going to pick Josh regardless of her own feelings. And if she picked Josh when she really wanted Lucas it meant that she was going to give up what could have been her one and only chance at true love.

She would choose a life of misery, trying to be at her happiest with Josh, as she watched Riley find somebody who truly loved her and had a fairytale ending. She would be forced to watch Lucas, the real love of her life, settle for somebody other than Maya and start a family with her. She would watch everybody else move on with their own lives and find a person who they loved more than life, but she would be unhappy because eventually Josh would realize that he would always come in second to Lucas and he would leave her for somebody who looked at him the way that Maya looked at Lucas.

And Lucas would be ruined.

There was no way that Lucas would be able to sit by and watch Maya be with somebody else. Not if he thought that there was a chance that he could have actually had a future with her. He'd just sit by and constantly wish that it was him that Maya was with. Every single time Josh touched Maya, Lucas would want to kill him.

Even if Maya picked Josh because she truly wanted him over Lucas, Lucas would be crushed. He wouldn't know what to do, because he had given up so much to be with her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that he wasn't enough for her.

He would do whatever it took to win her over, though. Farkle was sure of that much. Lucas was going to fight for Maya regardless of what Maya chose, because the last time he had had a chance with Maya, he hadn't fought hard enough for her. He had allowed somebody else to tell him what he wanted and that had led to too much unhappiness for him.

Already, Lucas was planning what he was going to do to win over Maya.

That was why he had invited his two male best friends to come over. Farkle was lounged out on the futon in Lucas's room that was still unfolded and made up from when the boy had fallen asleep on it the night before, flipping through a science magazine. Zay was lying on Lucas's bed, scrolling through his phone checking every social media account that he had while he waited for more lives for Candy Crush.

"I need something big," Lucas declared, pacing the length of his bedroom.

"Bigger than making the girl the perfect cute for a hang-over breakfast, giving up your bed so she could be comfortable and taking care of her all night?" Zay asked, lifting his head up to stare at his friend.

"That wasn't to declare my feelings for her. I always make sure she has a burger after she's been out drinking, regardless of what her hangover was," Lucas shook his head.

"Alright, alright…so we need something big," Zay nodded, bouncing up into a sitting position on the bed, his legs crossed pretzel style on front of him. "Flowers?"

"Maya hates flowers. She says that it makes her sad when they die," Farkle spoke up.

"Of course she hates flowers," Zay rolled his eyes. "Candy?" He wondered.

"It can't be anything cliche," Lucas insisted. "She's too good for that," He found himself smiling at the thought of his blonde beauty.

"What about if you took her favorite book and found a passage where the guy asks the girl out and marked it for her to find?" Farkle asked. "She loves those John Greene books. One of them has to have a quote like that," he pointed out.

"That could work," Lucas nodded.

"What about graffiti?" Zay asked. "Like, if you wrote it with chalk outside her apartment or on a building or something?"  
"I don't think getting myself arrested would help," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Damn sure would turn the girl on, though," Zay nodded.

"Don't you guys have that tradition where you carve pumpkins together every year?" Farkle asked. "You could carve GF in hers. It's artistic and clever," he suggested.

"Okay, that's perfect for when I ask her out. But, now I need something to prove that she should pick me," Lucas nodded, pleased with how much they had gotten done already.

"And you gotta get Riley to tell her she's okay with it," Zay spoke up.

"I have to make sure Riley _is_ okay with it," Lucas reminded him with a sigh, dropping down onto his bungee chair.

"Riley's okay with it," Farkle blurted out.

"Do we know that for sure though?" Lucas asked, burying his face in his hands.

"I do. She told me that is, but she wants to wait and tell you guys when she's emotionally ready to watch you guys be together," Farkle admitted.

"Riley's okay with it," Lucas said to himself, the smile taking over his entire face. "Does Maya know?" He asked, jumping to his feet.

"I broke my promise to Riley by telling you guys. Do you really think I told Maya already too?" Farkle rolled his eyes.

"Alright, so we just need Maya to find out that Riley's okay with it," Zay said. "That shouldn't be too hard, should it?" He asked, glancing between the two of them.

At that question, Farkle's phone beeped to inform him that he had a text message. He picked up the phone and glanced at the screen. His face broke out into a smile as he turned the screen towards the other two boys.

"Easier than you would think," Farkle grinned.

Lucas and Zay shot forward, falling to the floor to read the message lighting up the screen of the phone. As soon as they read it, they shared a wide smile.

 **Riley Matthews: She knows**


	9. Joshaya History

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 9: Joshaya History **

_**A/N: This entire chapter consists of a deeper look inside the canon Josh/Maya moments. I explained the feelings of Maya, Josh, and Lucas in the flashbacks as well as some backstory behind the reason for their actions. It's extremely long (almost the length of two of my normal chapters) and I'm pretty sure that the Lucas/Maya one will be the length of two of my normal chapters completely, if not more. Now, I have a question for you guys. In this chapter, all of the flashbacks are from the show and actual scenes that we've watched. I mentioned a few moments that I added into the plot line, but I didn't show those moments happen. If you guys took the time to read this whole note, it would be awesome if you could leave a review telling me if you want the same for the Lucas/Maya chapter or if you want a few moments that are alluded to either in this story or in the show itself.**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own GMW or the characters used in the story. I merely own the plot. If I did own the rights to the show, Lucas and Maya would be together and the love triangle would have been focused on Josh, Lucas and Maya while Riley would have her own love conflict with Farkle and Charlie._**

* * *

 _Maya's entire world stopped turning when he walked through the front door._

 _He was taller than when she had last seen him. His hair had grown out and was hidden behind a soft, knitted black beanie that Maya wanted for herself. His style had changed, and the baseball tees were long gone, replaced with a black tee shirt for some band Maya hadn_ _'t heard of before but would definitely be looking up after he left, with a long sleeved, button down shirt over it and dark wash jeans._

 _The only reason Maya had known it was him at a glance was because that crooked smile was still in place with that adorable, lone dimple and his dark brown eyes still shined with a mischievous gleam as he glanced around him._

 _"_ _Boing," Maya beamed, smile spreading across her face,_

 _"_ _Ha…that's my uncle, Maya," Riley reminded her nervously._

 _"_ _Sweet! I would be your aunt," Maya bit down on her bottom lip._

 _She was coming to terms with the fact that Lucas belonged to Riley. She understood that and she was fine with that. That was, she was fine with it now that this new boy had entered her life, because he was an excellent replacement for Lucas Friar._

 _Riley stared at her friend in shock, shaking her head at her antics. At least the blonde was showing interest in a boy-a boy who wasn_ _'t Lucas. She supposed that there were worse guys Maya could set her sights on than her uncle. Besides, it wasn't like anything would ever come of her little crush._

 _"_ _Uncle Josh!" Riley shrieked as her young uncle walked towards her with a bright smile._

 _"_ _Riley!" He hugged her tightly._

 _"_ _Uncle Josh!" Maya pushed past Riley and wrapped her arms around Josh, squeezing him in one of the tight hugs she usually only ever reserved for Riley._

 _"_ _Uh, Im not your uncle, Maya," Josh snickered, returning her hug._

 _"_ _Even better," She grinned, stepping away from him so that he could admire her._

 _"_ _Um…it's…it's been a while," Josh stuttered as he scanned the middle schooler, reaching behind his head to scratch at the nape of his neck._

 _Maya smiled to herself, because she knew that he thought she was beautiful. She knew that he was trying to remind himself that she was three years younger than him and his niece_ _'s best friend. And she was loving every second of it because he was looking at her the way that Riley looked at Lucas. The way Cory and Topanga looked at one another. The way nobody had ever looked at her before._

 _It made her feel special and it only locked in her feelings for the dark haired boy._

 _"_ _Sure has," She cooed._

 _"_ _Well…boy, you grew up gorgeous," he blurted out before walking away to talk with other family members._

 _Riley gasped, jaw dropping and eyes growing wide as Maya turned towards the brunette with a broad smile._

 _"_ _You are not going to be my aunt!"_

* * *

" _So, listen…I have an assignment next week up in Columbia county-upstate New York? It;s beautiful up there," Shawn explained to the group before him._

 _"_ _We're gonna miss you, Shawn," Cory frowned, reaching out to grab his best friend in a tight, breath-taking hug._

 _"_ _Well," Shawn said, dodging his friend's arms. "Maybe not," He explained. "'Cause, I was thinking maybe…you might wanna come?" He asked, looking towards the girls._

 _"_ _All of us?"_

 _"_ _I wouldn't have it any other way. You know-"_

 _"_ _Here it comes," Topanga rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _I never go anywhere without my best friend," Shawn flashed Cory a grin._

 _"_ _Yeah, that's not a bad way to grow up."_

 _"_ _So, maybe you would like to invite Maya?"_

 _"_ _Oh, you mean her?"_

 _"_ _Oh, what do you say, kid? You wanna come?"_

 _"_ _Yeah…you're invited, too," Maya said, winking at Josh._

 _The boy looked up, shocked at his name in a conversation that seemed to have nothing to do with him. When he focused on Maya and realized what she was insinuating, he couldn_ _'t help but smile at her._

 _"_ _Cool," He nodded, trying his hardest not to blush at the invitation and the temptation that a girl so much younger than him could cause her._

 _Shawn, Josh_ _'s biggest role model, watched the scene with a strong disapproval. There was something about Maya that reminded him of himself at her age and he felt the urge to protect her. Allowing her to go on a weekend trip upstate with a boy so much older than and only himself and Cory as adult supervision was not a good idea._

 _He knew what guys Josh_ _'s age were after and he didn't care if Josh got that. Hell, he would even be proud of Josh for getting some action._

 _But, he didn_ _'t want that action to be coming from the sweet, innocent, broken blonde sitting across from him. She deserved far better than that._

 _Maya, meanwhile, was ecstatic at Josh_ _'s response. She had been expecting an eye roll. A sarcastic remark about how he had better plans with people his own age. Or even a response that showed that he was only humoring her because he felt like he had to be nice to her for Riley's face._

 _Yet, his answer was honest and nice. It sounded as though he were actually appreciative for the invitation and tempted to join them. And from the way he looked when he answered, it was even as though he wanted to go just for an excuse to spend more time with Maya, something that sent shivers down her spine._

 _After all, a guy like Lucas wouldn_ _'t even give a girl like her a second glance because of a girl like Riley. Yet, a guy like Josh was giving a girl like Maya all of his attention regardless of a girl like anybody else. And he was willing to continue to give her his undivided attention._

 _"_ _Oh boy," Riley gulped, glancing between Maya and Josh._

* * *

" _Dr. Turtleneck, I presume?"_

 _"_ _How could you tell?" Farkle asked, smiling brightly._

 _It was clear that he was honestly asking Joshua Matthews how had been able to figure out Cory_ _'s nickname for him without any other hints, despite the brightly colored turtleneck that Farkle was wearing._

 _"_ _Oh," Josh stalled, glancing at Maya and Riley for help. "Becuase…you just seem like a doctor to me," he shrugged, hoping that was a good answer._

 _"_ _Thank you!" Farkle exclaimed, his face practically splitting in half because of the complement from the older boy._

 _"_ _And you must be…"Josh trailed off, looking at Lucas as though he were trying to size him up._

 _Lucas stood before him with his arms crossed over his chest and a forced and completely fake, Texas-styled smile in place._

 _He had heard Maya gushing over the guy since Christmas and he was sick of it. Besides, there wasn_ _'t anything special about him. Josh clearly just knew the right things to say to people to make them melt. It didn't make him worthy of a girl like Maya._

 _It shouldn_ _'t bother him that Maya was so obsessed with some other guy, but he couldn't help it. Despite the fact that Lucas had Riley and was supposed to be happy with his unofficial relationship with the brunette, he wanted the fiery blonde._

 _He wanted flirting that was based off of making fun of one another. He wanted physical contact that set him on fire. He wanted something spontaneous so that he would never be able to predict what was coming next. He wanted somebody to challenge him and push all of his buttons. He wanted somebody like Maya._

 _From the moment he had seen her on the subway, he had known that he wanted her. Or, at least, that he wanted a girl like her._

 _She was full of confidence and he had been attracted to that._

 _Yet, he had been assigned the role of Riley_ _'s boyfriend and now he was forced to watch Maya swoon over some jerk._

 _It wouldn_ _'t be so bad if the relationship was clearly one sided, but Josh was looking at Maya as though he couldn't get enough of her beauty and he was amused at everything she was saying. And that led Lucas to believe that there could be something there._

 _"_ _Howdy," He responded, trying to keep his voice calm and collected._

 _Josh didn_ _'t like Lucas either._

 _He didn_ _'t like the way the boy had entered with his eyes locked on Maya. He didn't like the way that the boy's eyes drifted over to Maya whenever he thought somebody wasn't looking._

 _Josh had heard the girls fawn about Lucas and his_ _"relationship" with Riley. Yet, from what Josh and seen, Lucas wanted a relationship with Maya, not with Riley. He was doing everything that he could to hide that fact from everybody around him, however, and that was what made Josh so mad._

 _Maya deserved more than to be somebody_ _'s dirty little secret._

* * *

" _Would you be on my team, Uncle Josh?" Auggie asked, flashing a bright and cheerful smile at Josh._

 _Josh had been planning on asking Maya to be his partner, because he didn_ _'t want to give Lucas the chance to be her partner. But, it was impossible to say no to the adorable little boy with his toothy smile and chubby cheeks._

 _"_ _Try and stop me," Josh grinned at him, swinging an arm around his shoulders._

 _"_ _Okay, I'll stop you," Maya smirked, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You're on my team," She informed him._

 _She hated to be cruel to Auggie and she knew that the young boy worshipped the ground that his uncle stood on, but she wanted an excuse to get closer to the boy that she was obsessed with._

 _Besides, Farkle and Lucas were clearly going to be partners and Auggie could have his father for a teammate when Riley picked to side with her mother as she always did. Mr. Matthews was great and all, but Maya got her fill of her best friend_ _'s father at school. She didn't need nor want her teacher to be her partner._

 _Josh looked over at her, refusing to move for fear of disturbing her resting place, with an amused smile on his face. When he saw his brother_ _'s warning look, however, he shrugged Maya off of him and sat up straight._

 _Cory had spoken to him after he had left New York at Christmas time about Maya and warned him against starting a relationship with the blonde. It would lead to nothing but trouble, Cory had cautioned, because Maya was so much younger and so vulnerable. Josh had hated to admit defeat but he knew that his brother was right._

 _Lucas watched with an annoyed frown sketched across his face. He had been forced to watch Maya flirt with her precious_ _"uncle boing" all night. The only thing that was getting him through was the fact that he had far more nicknames than Josh did from the short blonde and that his nickname included two boings. He had been trying to get her to call him Bucky McBoing Boing all night, to no avail._

 _But this was taking it too far, especially when he was going to ask Maya to be his partner. He had no problem being partnered with Farkle, but he had feared Maya being Josh_ _'s partner and he wanted to make sure he put an end to its possibility._

 _"_ _He's my uncle," Auggie whined._

 _"_ _He's my husband," Maya informed Auggie, leaning over Josh to look the small boy directly in the eyes._

 _As she leaned back against the couch, she grabbed Josh_ _'s arm and tugged him closer to her._

 _Josh found himself smiling at his closeness to Maya. He loved the way she seemed to fit so perfectly into him. fought the urge to flash a smirk in Lucas_ _'s direction._

 _Lucas fought the urge to jump up and start bashing Josh_ _'s arrogant, perfectly sculptured face in._

* * *

" _Looks like everybody's all partnered up except for lil ol' us," Maya said sweetly, leaning her head against Josh's shoulders once again._

 _Ava had arrived and thrown off all of the plans for the teams. Auggie had opted to be on her team, leaving only Josh, Cory, and Maya to figure out their partners._

 _"_ _I could pick you," She sighed, snuggling closer against the older boy. "Or I could pick you," She rolled her eyes at her teacher. "Or I could pick you," she nuzzled her face into the crease between Josh's neck and shoulder. "Or I could pick you," She glared at Cory._

 _She sat up straight and continued on her little spiel._

 _"_ _Yeah, well, you see…you represent homework and no fun," She stuck her tongue out at her teacher. "While you are so handsome!" Maya gushed to Josh._

 _Josh smiled, ready to accept the compliment and agree to be Maya_ _'s partner, when he saw Cory's warning look._

 _He hated that he had to say no to her, because it meant letting her down and allowing that stupid Howdy Doody to step in and act as her hero. And if there was anything he wanted less than to let Maya down, it was to allow Ranger Rick to be her stupid partner for some stupid game._

 _There had to be some way to keep his brother happy and to ensure that Maya and Lucas didn_ _'t have a chance to get any closer than they already were. He just needed to figure it out without taking too much time._

 _He glanced at the game board at the center of the table and noticed the large stack of cards that went along with the game._

 _"_ _Okay, here's what I'm gonna do!" Josh said, jumping to his feet and causing Maya to fall onto the couch, since she had been using him for support. "I'm gonna be the game show host, is what I'm gonna do," He explained._

 _He paused, trying to ignore the way that Lucas had carefully pulled Maya onto the floor besides him and allowed her to use his shoulder as a pillow, replacing Josh as her support system. It shouldn't bother him as much as it did, but it killed him._

 _"'_ _Cause they stand," He declared, smirking as his plan continued to develop and get better and better. "And they move," He started to walk around the room stumbling over Lucas and causing the two blondes to be forced apart._

 _He took advantage of the spaces between the two and stood there, reaching to grab the pile of cards from the table in front of him._

 _If he wasn_ _'t going to be Maya's partner, he wasn't going to give Huckleberry the chance to be her partner either. He could stay with the colorful turtleneck wearing guy with the weird name. And Maya could be partnered with Cory, because that would only bore her to death._

 _And Josh would make sure that Maya and Lucas had some distance._

* * *

" _Maya…"_

 _Josh walked up the blonde after the board game had ended._

 _Lucas and Farkle were on their way out, waiting for Maya to say her goodbyes and meet them at the doorway. Josh had stopped her in the living room and she had stopped dead in her tracks. Lucas rolled his eyes at the power that the dark haired boy seemed to have over her and tried not to show how bitter he was, but Farkle knew, because_ _…well, because he was Farkle._

 _"_ _You do understand I'm too old for you?" Josh asked her, a sad look in his eyes._

 _Lucas heard what he said and fought the urge to smile._

 _Whether or not Josh returned Maya_ _'s feelings for him, he was turning her down. He was letting her know that there was no way that they could be together._

 _And Maya was so used to heartbreak and rejection that she would just accept it and move on. That meant that Lucas would be able to have a chance. It meant that Lucas could be happy, because he could makes things work out for him._

 _"_ _I do, Josh," Maya sighed, running a hand through her blonde locks._

 _Josh could feel himself crumbling inside at her words. She wasn_ _'t supposed to accept defeat so easily. She wasn't supposed to calmly agree with him. He hadn't wanted that type of a reaction from her._

 _He had expected yelling and anger. He had expected a protest of some sort. He had even expected some tears, but he had hoped that she wouldn_ _'t cry._

 _Instead, he got a mature response that made him want to take back the words that he had already said even more than when he had first said them. After all, if she was capable of comprehending that the problem was merely their age and that their feelings had to be put aside, maybe she really was mature enough for a relationship with a guy so much older than her._

 _Maybe the two of them would be able to work out a relationship whether Josh wasn_ _'t at risk of getting into any trouble?_

 _But, it didn_ _'t matter anymore because she was accepting his rejection._

 _"_ _I know that," She sighed._

 _"_ _Good," Josh gulped, even though it wasn't good and he didn't want her to agree._

 _"_ _But, I'm in it for the long game," Maya informed him, her voice confident as she lifted her chin and smiled at him, blue eyes sparkling with determination._

 _He couldn_ _'t even try to fight back the smile that burst out at her words._

 _She was going to fight for him and she wasn't going to give up. That was more than enough for him. They could figure something out, when she was a little bit older and the age difference didn_ _'t matter as much._

 _It was all going to be okay and they could both get the happily ever after that they had always wanted and dreamt about having._

 _"_ _Yeah," Josh nodded, smiling. "Me too."_

* * *

" _Hey, kiddies!"_

 _"_ _Uncle Boing!" Maya shrieked, almost fainting on the spot if it hadn't been for Topanga reaching out to catch her with an amused smile o her face._

 _Lucas rolled his eyes at the arrival of the dark haired, older boy. It was bad enough that everybody had thought he had meant that he wanted permission to date Riley when he had entered the apartment. Now he was stuck begging for a date with a girl he didn_ _'t even want to go out with in front of his competition for the girl he did want to go out with._

 _"_ _My brother!" Cory's entire mood lifted at the sight of his little brother._

 _"_ _My brother!" Josh pointed at Cory with a grin. "Hey, I come with good news!"_

 _"_ _Thank you," Maya whispered to Topanga, righting herself. "I"m good," She assured her._

 _"_ _I'm joining the NYU pre-college program so I'll be here all summer!"_

 _Nothing had ever annoyed Lucas more than knowing that Josh would be around all summer. What had Lucas done in a previous life to deserve this?_

 _"_ _Okay, I'm not good," Maya said, stumbling once again._

 _"_ _I gotcha, honey," Topanga cooed over her second daughter._

 _"_ _Josh, would you do me a favor and explain to your niece that she is way too young to go out on her first date?" Cory asked, pushing Josh towards Riley._

 _But, what Cory didn_ _'t realize was that Riley and Lucas getting together was perfect for Josh's plan to get with Maya. If Lucas was dating Riley, he was off the market for Maya for the rest of their lives. It gave him time to figure out a way to make things with with Maya._

 _And, maybe he could even convince Cory to only allow Lucas and Riley to go out if they had supervision-like Josh and Maya, who could be on their own little date of sorts?_

 _"_ _Niece! What kept you going so long? Welcome to the party, guys. Enjoy," He smirked at Lucas as he gently pushed Riley towards him._

 _"_ _Get out of my house!" Cory demanded._

 _"_ _I'll go the party with you, Josh," Maya winked._

 _"_ _Still too old for you, Maya," Josh responded on impulse and immediately wanted to kick himself for it._

 _"_ _Three years," Maya cooed, slowly walking towards him. "What's three years in the history of love? They found some cavemen footprints. A man and a woman. They didn't know how old they were. All the scientists could tell was that they were holding hands. You know why? That was all that was important," Maya shrugged her shoulders._

 _"_ _Wow, Maya," Josh gulped._

 _She was so mature for her age. It was so easy for him to forget that she was so young. Who could blame him for falling for a girl like her?_

 _"_ _Keep looking at me," She pleaded, eyes locked on his._

 _But, he had a warning look from Cory that said he_ _'d done enough damage, so he made up an excuse and fled._

* * *

" _We have to go," Riley declared._

 _"_ _Why?" Maya frowned._

 _They had just gotten to the bakery and it didn_ _'t make sense for them to leave so soon. They hadn't even gotten a chance to order anything yet and Maya was starving. On top of that, Riley owed her because she had agreed to go out with Farkle so that Riley could go out with Lucas._

 _"_ _Maya, please," Riley pleaded. "Do you trust me?"  
"More than anyone in the world," Maya assured her friend. _

_Whatever it was had to be serious, but that didn_ _'t change the fact that Maya was still curious. In fact, the severity of the issue made it even more tempting for Maya to turn around and see what it was that had Riley so worked up._

 _"_ _Then don't turn around," Riley begged._

 _"_ _Okay, if you say not to, I won't," Maya agreed._

 _Riley owed her far more now than just a snack. She was giving up the deliciousness offered inside of the bakery for whatever it was that was currently bothering Riley. That meant that Riley owed her an explanation now as well as the snack. But, Maya knew that Riley wasn_ _'t going to give her either one any time soon. That meant she had to take matters into her own hands._

 _"_ _Let's go," Riley sighed in relief, starting to pull Maya towards the door._

 _"_ _Oh, wait!" Maya said cheerfully, pulling her arm free of Riley's grasp. "I forgot-I'm still me," She grinned as she turned around._

 _Her face fell as soon as she saw Josh sitting at a table with a beautiful girl who was probably even older than he was. A girl that Maya would never be able to compete with. And Josh looked completely content to be with the girl. He was definitely charming her, with that crooked grin and sparkle in his eyes._

 _"_ _You know what the best thing is about going out with Farkle?" Maya asked, her voice slightly louder than necessary but she wanted to make sure that Josh heard what she was about to say._

 _"_ _What?" Riley asked softly._

 _"_ _No matter what happens," Maya sighed, I won't get hurt," She shook her head as she followed her friend out of the bakery._

 _Josh sat there, watching the girls leave and felt like he had reached his lowest point._

 _The girl interviewing him was gorgeous, but she was no Maya. She couldn_ _'t even compete. The only thing she had going for her was that she was closer to his age, making it more practical._

 _Yet he had broken her heart by being there with some other girl and clearly flirting with her, knowing Maya was likely to see._

 _And now she was going out with some other guy. A guy who was age appropriate for her. One who would never hurt her. She was so afraid of being hurt again she was going out with a guy she didn_ _'t even care about. Josh had ruined relationships for her for good._

* * *

" _I don't want to jinx this, but it's just like us hanging out at school! What could possibly go wrong?" Riley said cheerfully, a bright smile locked onto her face._

 _Maya smiled, happy that her friend was so happy and grateful that Riley didn_ _'t seem to want the group to separate into their two separate dates. That meant, if Maya really pretended, it would be like she was on a date with Lucas. She grabbed onto the pole on the subway train for support as the train started up and caught something strange in the side of her eye._

 _And that was when she saw Josh and the same brunette from earlier sitting together on the subway train. Josh still had the same charming smile on his face-the one that had made Maya melt so many times. His eyes sparkled as the girl looked at him, smiling right back at him._

 _How could anybody not smile back at Josh? He was absolutely perfect._

 _Suddenly, though, the brunette was standing. Josh jumped to his feet with a panicked look in his eyes._

 _"_ _Sophie, Sophie," He sighed, running a hand through his hair and dropping back down onto the seat. "Um, I thought we connected pretty well," He frowned, looking up at her._

 _"_ _I'm a junior, Junior," the girl-Sophie, Maya had learned-shrugged her shoulders. "I got a couple years on you, don't I?" She wondered with a teasing smile._

 _It was like hearing every single time Josh had ever rejected her. She felt like she was watching the scene play out in front of her._

 _"_ _What's three years? You think three years matters at our age?" Josh frowned._

 _"_ _Yeah, I do," She nodded, and walked away, leaving the boy of Maya's dreams sitting there alone._

 _She muttered a quick excuse to her friends and walked over to the brunette boy sitting there alone with his elbows resting on his knees, face buried in his hands._

 _"_ _Maya?"_

 _Josh looked up as soon as the blonde was in front of him. She hadn_ _'t had to say or do anything. He just knew she was there. That should have told him right then and there that the age difference was ridiculous and their chemistry was undeniable._

 _"_ _She pulled the three-years-older thing on you, huh?" Maya asked, shooting him a sympathetic grin as she looked down at him._

 _"_ _Yeah, yeah…I really put myself out there," Josh chuckled, cheeks tinting red._

 _He knew he probably seemed like a major hypocrite. After all, Maya and he had the same age difference that he had with Sophie. Yet he was perfectly alright with trying to make things work when he was the younger guy. When it was Maya? He did everything to fight it off._

 _"_ _Oh, I'm sure I couldn't possibly identify with your pain," Maya rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Josh. "Cavemen? Footprints? Hold hands?" She reminded him, pale eyebrows rising towards her hairline._

 _"_ _Hurts, doesn't it?" Josh gulped._

 _He was hoping she would deny it, but he knew that she wouldn_ _'t. She wasn't going to intentionally try to make him feel any worse, but she was going to be honest with him. That was the type of girl Maya was._

 _"_ _A little bit, yeah," She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip._

 _"_ _How do you deal with it?"_

 _"_ _Well, me? I've got this dungeon of sadness."_

 _"_ _Oh yeah?" He flashed her an amused grin. "You got me in there?" He found himself smirking, eyes locked on the blonde._

 _"_ _Oh yeah," Maya nodded, leaning back in the seat. "You and a whole flock of ballerinas," she giggled, causing him to burst out laughing along with her._

 _"_ _Lucas?"_

 _Lucas_ _'s eyes were focused on the two of them, bitter at the scene before him._

 _"_ _Go over there, Riley," Lucas smirked._

 _Let Josh try to redeem his moment with Maya after Riley_ _'s interference._

 _"_ _Be with your best friend," He nodded._

 _"_ _What about our date?"_

 _"_ _I had a good time," He said, trying his hardest not to speak through clenched teeth._

 _"_ _I'm glad you were my first date," Riley smiled as she stood up and walked over towards Maya, hurrying to meet her best friend._

 _He knew that he had asked Riley out-but he had been forced into. He had been going to ask Cory for permission to date Maya, because she had asked him out the other he had found out that Maya only asked him out to push him into asking out Riley._

 _Now he was forced to sit there and watch Maya flirting with Josh. He had to watch the older boy flirt back. And he was left there with Riley._

 _Maybe, eventually, he would be able to fall in love with her. Someday, he would be able to fall in love with her, he was sure. But he couldn_ _'t love her. Not right then and there. Because, seventh grade Lucas was in love with Maya and he wasn't sure how long it would take him to get over the blonde and move onto somebody else._

 _It was like nobody noticed the signs._

 _That same night had had been in awe over Maya_ _'s appearance when she had walked down the steps in the subway. She was beautiful on an average day, but Riley had forced her to put some effort into her appearance that night and she looked even better than she normally did. Lucas had been absolutely speechless when he had seen her._

 _As always, though, everybody just assumed that he was talking about Riley._

 _It didn_ _'t matter what Lucas did. People were going to assume he loved Riley. They were going to push him to be with Riley. It didn't matter if he declared his love for Maya. They would assume he had meant Riley and insist that he had said the brunette's name._

 _So, maybe it was time that he just gave in to what everybody else wanted. Maybe he should give into the pressure._

* * *

 _All right, weirdos. Listen up and listen good. I got like a minute before he walks through the door," Maya said breathlessly as she ran into the Matthews's apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and leaning against it to catch her breathe._

 _"_ _Who's coming through the door, Maya?" Riley asked, turning around from her seat at the breakfast table._

 _"_ _Your uncle Boing," Maya sighed, pushing away from the door and walking towards her friend with a smile._

 _"_ _Oh, Maya…you've got to get off of this," Riley cooed._

 _"_ _Nope," Maya smirked, plopping down on the seat besides her friend. "The reason he's not interested is because I've been playing it all wrong. See, my strategy of turning into a total nut job at the mere sight of him ain't working out as planned," She explained._

 _"_ _Maya, it's nothing you're doing. It's the age difference," Riley poined out._

 _"_ _Three years older. Your dad married your mom and he's like twenty years older," Maya rolled her eyes, deciding to switch her seat to appear more relaxed._

 _"_ _We're the exact same age!" Cory protested, entering the kitchen._

 _"_ _What?" Riley's eyes widened in shock._

 _"_ _I just need to be casual," Maya plopped down on the couch. "How's this?" She wondered, putting her feet up on the coffee table._

 _"_ _Yeah?" Topanga chuckled. "How's this?" She asked, pushing Maya's feet from the table._

 _"_ _Hey, family!" Josh cheered as he walked into the apartment._

 _"_ _Yeah, hi," Maya said, twirling her hair and refusing to look at him. "I don't care," She muttered._

 _That confused Josh. Maya was supposed to come running up to greet him. She was supposed to be excited that he was there. She was supposed to melt at the sight of him. He knew that Lucas and Riley hadn_ _'t really worked out as a couple but he hadn't thought that Maya and Lucas had anything going on now._

 _"_ _My brother!" He shouted, nodding towards Cory as he walked by Maya, deciding to just shake off the blonde's casual manner upon his entrance._

 _"_ _My brother!"_

 _"_ _So, Riley, shouldn't we be like…heading to school now, since there's nothing here for me of any interest?" Maya asked, jumping up into a standing position._

 _Josh frowned, trying to figure out why Maya was acting so cold towards him. She was practically ignoring his existence and that was not the Maya Hart that he had known for all those years._

 _"_ _Sure," Riley shrugged. "Let's go," she nodded._

 _"_ _Think she'll make it out the door?" Auggie whispered._

 _"_ _I give her then seconds before she jumps onto his head," she whispered back, standing up and making her way towards the door._

 _"_ _I came up here because I wanted to do this in front of all of you. I hold in my hand an envelope from New York University," Josh said, smirking as he realized what it was that Maya was trying to do._

 _His new plan was to tease her. Draw out his news. And make her react to him. He was going to make sure that he won this round, because now it was a game._

 _"_ _Oh, are we stopping?" Riley cocked an eyebrow as she crashed into a non-moving Maya, who had stopped as soon as the words "New York University" had left Josh's mouth._

 _And she thought she was clever?_

 _"_ _I'm not stopping," Maya insisted. "I'm resting," She said as she resumed walking._

 _"_ _What's in this envelope tells me where I'm gonna be for the next four years," Josh continued, waving the envelope in the air._

 _Maya stopped again._

 _"_ _Ohh. Are we stopping?"_

 _"_ _I'm not as young as I used to be!"_

 _Josh knew that Maya_ _'s outburst wasn't just for Riley. It was for his sake as well._

 _"_ _Good luck, Josh," Riley called over her shoulder._

 _"_ _Yeah, hi…I don't care," Maya made a face over her shoulder as she followed after her best friend._

 _"_ _Is it just me or is there a new maturity in Maya that I haven't seen before?" Josh asked, eyes on his brother. "I find it intriguing," He admitted._

 _Just as he started to think that his plan had failed, he heard Maya running back into the room screaming._

 _"_ _WHERE WILL YOU BE?" She shouted, jumping onto his back and latching her arms around his neck as she held on._

 _"_ _HOLD ONTO YOUR DIGNITY WOMAN!" Riley yelled, from the doorway, a distressed look on her face._

 _Coming from Riley, though, that was rich. She lost control of herself every time she was with Lucas._

 _"_ _Too late for late," Auggie rolled his eyes._

 _"_ _Get off me, you little ferret," Josh said, trying to shake her off but laughing all the same._

 _"_ _Give it!" Maya whined_

 _"_ _It's my life," Josh sighed, dropping her onto the couch._

 _"_ _It affects me too!" Maya insisted, jumping to her feet and taking the letter from him. "Dear Applicant Boing," She red._

 _"_ _It doesn't say that," Josh announced._

 _"_ _This year we are only accepting married applicants," Maya went on._

 _"_ _It doesn't say that!"_

 _"_ _So, we regret to inform you that…."_

 _"_ _Regret to inform me?"_

 _"_ _We regret to inform you that you will be spending the next four years in New York with Maya!" Maya cheered._

 _"_ _I got in? I got in," Josh beamed, forgetting about Maya's antics that morning._

 _"_ _We got in," Maya smirked, opening her arms as Josh went to hug her._

 _Then, he realized what he was doing and turned towards his family, accepting a hug from Topanga. As everybody celebrated for him, Maya gained her composure again and made her goodbye. That was when Josh realized that there was still a little more fun to be had with her._

 _"_ _That's so great," Josh grinned._

 _"_ _I don't know what this means," Auggie spoke up._

 _"_ _Congratulations, Buddy. I'm so proud of you!"_

 _"_ _It means a lot, Cory," Josh accepted._

 _"_ _All very exciting, I'm sure," Maya rolled her eyes, clearly upset that she was the only one who he wasn't celebrating with "But Riley and I have our own educations to which to attend…to which," She said, grabbing Riley's hand and heading out._

 _"_ _This is so great! And my buddy who goes there invited me to his dorm tonight to meet some college friends in case I got in," he said, eyes locked on the back of Maya's head as he spoke._

 _"_ _Oh, are we stopping?"_

 _"_ _Nope, we're doing something else now," Maya smirked as she turned around. "When is this little party? Yeah, whatever, hi, I don't care," She said coyly, running a hand through her hair as she looked at him from beneath her eyelashes._

 _"_ _Uh, ten tonight?" Josh said in confusion._

 _"_ _Where's this little party?" She asked quickly. "Yea, whatever…hi, I don't care," She rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _Greenwich Hall," He answered promptly._

 _Maya grinned._

 _"_ _Are we smiling? I smile! I'll smile anytime! What are we smiling about?" Riley asked cheerfully._

 _"_ _Bay window. Bay window right now," Maya smirked, grabbing Riley's hand and racing towards her bedroom._

 _Josh watched the pair walk away, smiling to himself as he silently celebrated his victory. Or, at least, what he would be counting as a victory. Because he had gotten to Maya. He had been able to tempt her and break her. She hadn_ _'t been able to play it cool, because he had been able to tempt her with the prospect of showing up at a party where he would be. He had tempted her with his acceptance to a school near her._

 _Besides the age difference, the fact that they would be forced into a long distance relationship had made Josh fearful of what would happen if he admitted his feelings for Maya. If he was living in the city, it meant that the only issues became their age and the fact that she was best friends with Riley_ _'s niece._

 _Judging by the fact that Maya and Lucas clearly had some sort of thing going on between them, however, Josh was sure he would be able to get Riley to approve of a relationship between Josh and Maya._

 _All that that left Josh to deal with was Cory. Once he got Cory to accept Josh and Maya together, the age difference wouldn_ _'t even matter._

 _At least, not to anybody other than Josh._

 _Because it was still going to be there._

 _And, sure, there were going to be times when Josh was embarrassed that his girlfriend was three years younger than him._

 _There would be times when the fact that his girlfriend was a freshman in high school while he was a senior would be frustrating and they would have to deal with the long distance relationship for a year._

 _But, Josh cared about Maya. He loved her and he didn_ _'t want to risk losing her. He was willing to wait until she was at least in high school to make things work for them, but he wasn't going to sit by and give it anymore time than that. He was tired of waiting for Maya._

* * *

" _We're leaving."_

 _Maya_ _'s voice was clear to him, despite the fact that he couldn't see her. He was well aware that she was standing in the hallway, while he was tucked away in a dorm room, but he knew that she was close because he could hear her voice and he would know her voice from a mile away._

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _That was Riley_ _'s voice. He was sure of it, because he knew that Maya would never go anywhere without Riley. Even on a covet mission where she was terrified of being caught, she wouldn't leave Riley behind, despite the fact that if anybody was going to get her caught, it would be his niece._

 _"_ _We got here too late."_

 _She had seen him in the dorm room. She had seen him surrounded by girls who didn_ _'t mean anything to him. She had seen him and he had once again broken her heart. Once again, he had made her feel inferior to the girls that he would be attending college with, and he hated himself for it, but he was doing it all the same._

 _He had been asking the others in the room with him about how long it had taken them to get adjusted to living on campus, in a new place. Now, despite the fact that Jasmine was still talking to him and even sort of flirting with him-despite the fact that she was gorgeous-he was focusing on Maya and Riley, talking in the hallway._

 _"_ _How did I think I could ever compete with them?"_

 _"_ _Maya, a Gamma Gamma girl does not let her sister give up at the first sign of trouble!"_

 _"_ _You're not a Gamma Gamma girl."_

 _"_ _Ry-Ry! You totally ditched us!"_

 _Josh didn_ _'t recognize that voice, the one that called his niece by a strange nickname, but he knew that, somehow, his niece had found the sorority girls._

 _"_ _I'm dealing with some stuff, Harriet!"_

 _"_ _I shouldn't tell you this, but you were already voted best friend to have!" The strange, new girl gushed._

 _"_ _I thought Gretchen had that?"_

 _"_ _Nope! You! Gamma song?"_

 _"_ _Of course! Gamma song!"_

 _And then he heard Riley and the new girl begin to sing some stupid song. He really hated sororities but he knew that if anybody was ever going to join one, it would be Riley. Maya was too strong for that and she would never do it. Riley, however, would jump into the first one that would accept her._

 _"_ _Stop it," he heard Riley gush, in the same breathless voice that she and Maya used whenever they used their silly little handshake._

 _"_ _That's ours!" Maya stomped her foot._

 _"_ _Grow up," Riley barked._

 _"_ _I'm leaving," Maya said, her voice cold and lacking emotion._

 _"_ _You're not," Riley insisted._

 _"_ _Riley, how can I even begin to compete with those girls in there?" Maya asked, her voice soft and airless. He could tell that she was ready to cry._

 _"_ _See, Josh?" his friend Andrew asked with a grin. "Nothing to worry about at all. You're going to fit right in here," He promised._

 _"_ _Yeah! You've got new friends already and a new life waiting as soon as you get here," Jasmine smiled at him._

 _"_ _Yeah, he's gone. Please take me home?" Maya begged._

 _"_ _Bold women make bold choices," Riley argued._

 _"_ _What does that even mean?"_

 _"_ _It's a Gamma thing! It's what we say right before we shove a sister into a bold choice."_

 _And then, Maya Hart was shoved into Jasmine_ _'s dorm room with a bewildered and lost expression written all over her face._

 _"_ _Maya? Riley?" Josh's eyes grew wide as he tried to act as though he were shocked to see the two of them there._

 _"_ _You know these girls, Josh?" Andrew asked, eyes locked on Maya. "How you doing?" he asked, flashing her a blindingly white, perfectly straight grin._

 _"_ _We're in middle school," Maya barked at him._

 _For as sad as she had sounded in the hallway and as scared as she had looked when Riley had shoved her into the room, she looked beyond confident in there and she spoke with the same feistiness that made Josh understand why Topanga referred to her as an Amazon Warrior. She seemed strong and mature beyond her years._

 _"_ _Oh…"Andrew nodded. "They can't be here, Josh," He said._

 _"_ _No kidding. Riley, what are you thinking? You have to go!"_

 _"_ _You're right, Josh. We're sorry. This was a bad idea," Maya nodded, biting down on her bottom lip._

 _"_ _Wait-intrigued," Jasmine said cheerfully, shoving Josh away from her so that there was a space for Maya to sit down. "Maya? What was your bad idea?" She asked, patting the seat besides her with a warm smile._

 _"_ _He's her uncle Josh. I call him uncle Boing because…look at him," Maya explained, refusing to take the seat but staring Jasmine right in the eye._

 _"_ _She made me sneak out of a window to come here. That's how much she likes him. Because she was afraid that you guys were witches and that you would steal him from her," Riley blurted out and immediately slapped a hand over her mouth._

 _Josh just lowered his head, trying to hide the laughter that had come over him when he_ _'d heard about Maya's fears._

 _"_ _They're not witches, Riley," Maya shook her head. "They're girls who don't live at home anymore and know a lot more than we do," she explained._

 _"_ _Sorry we interrupted your evening," Riley pouted._

 _"_ _Oh, I think our evening has just begun," Charlotte grinned._

 _"_ _INITIATION!" The girl-Harriet-that Josh had heard in the hallway came running into the room with a swarm of girls in matching tee-shirts behind her._

 _They blindfolded Riley, who screamed as the girls took her away._

 _"_ _Alright! Bring her back!" Josh called._

 _"_ _Andrew?" Harriet turned towards Josh's friend. "You told me you died!"_

 _"_ _I did. I am," Andrew paled. "Don't forget me," He whispered._

 _"_ _They all die," Harriet pouted._

 _"_ _Hey," Jasmine smiled at Maya._

 _"_ _Hey," She grinned back._

 _"_ _So, Maya, what do you see in this guy?" Jasmine asked, staring at a now standing Josh as if she couldn't figure out what all of the hype was about._

 _"_ _How long have you had a crush on him?" Charlotte asked._

 _"_ _It's not a crush," Maya insisted. "It isn't. Maybe I'm not as old as you guys, but I know what I feel," She explained confidently._

 _"_ _Hey, I've never done anything like what you're doing," Charlotte said, clearly impressed with the tiny blonde._

 _"_ _Yeah, it makes you pretty grown up to me," Jasmine said, shooting Josh a look._

 _"_ _I just thought if I did something like this, the he might take me seriously and then maybe we could come to some kind of understanding," Maya sighed, walking towards the girls and taking a seat between them._

 _"_ _We_ _ **have**_ _an understanding," Josh said, walking back into the room with his niece and Andrew. When he noticed everybody turn to look at him, he continued. "I stay here, you go home," He ordered._

 _"_ _Sit down," Charlotte and Jasmine ordered._

 _"_ _Okay," Josh dropped down onto Andrew's bed._

 _"_ _I'm just stupid, alright?" Maya shook her head._

 _Josh knew that she did_ _'t regret showing up there. She just felt bad for embarrassing him and the way that everybody seemed to be taking her side._

 _"_ _Hey," Andrew said, staring directly at Maya and locking eyes with her. "I would love if somebody did something stupid for me," he told her honestly._

 _Josh didn_ _'t like the way that Maya smiled and blushed at the compliment from the college-aged boy._

 _"_ _Yeah, it's not the big gestures that we do for other people that help us grow up," Jasmine explained._

 _"_ _But the small choices you make yourself," Charlotte finished, smiling at her roommate and best friend._

 _"_ _Oh! Maya told you guys about her crush?" Riley asked cheerfully._

 _"_ _It's not a crush!"_

 _"_ _Maya, can you name one thing you know about him that you love?" Riley asked._

 _"_ _He's part of your family, Riley! I love your family," Maya stated._

 _That upset Josh, too. He wanted Maya to love him because of who he was, not because of the fact that he was Riley_ _'s uncle and she wanted to be a part of Riley's family._

 _"_ _And we love you," Riley smiled sweetly. "What about Josh in particular?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, Maya…you don't-you don't even really know me," He stuttered to get out, mostly because he hated to admit it._

 _"_ _Yeah," Maya rolled her eyes. "You're right. I don't pay attention to anything that you do," She agreed with him, rising to her feet._

 _Josh panicked, worried she would just leave it at that._

 _"_ _I don't know that you drove all the way from Philadelphia to New York, not even looking if you got into NYU just so you could open your acceptance letter in front of your older brother because you love him and you want him to be proud of you," She shrugged her shoulders, beginning to pace the room._

 _Josh lowered his head sheepishly._

 _"_ _And I see the way you are with Auggie. A little kid who looks up to you who you always have time for. And I know that even though you'd rather stay here with these girls, you're going to walk Riley and me home, because that's just the kind of guy you are. I like you," She looked right at him as she finished, locking eyes with him._

 _And it was like Josh was seeing her for the first time._

 _""_ _Dude, what is wrong with you?" Andrew asked, eyes locked on Maya once again._

 _"_ _She's three years younger than me!" Josh jumped to his feet._

 _"_ _Sit down," Charlotte and Jasmine ordered again._

 _"_ _Yep-no. No, because I sat down the first time and I feel like if I sit down this time it won't reflect well on me," Josh shook his head._

 _"_ _Yeah? How's this reflect on you?" Jasmine smirked, rising to her own feet. "If you don't sit down, I'm gonna tell every girl on campus that you belong," She swung an arm around Maya's shoulders. "To the bravest girl that I have ever met. I'll make sure that no one goes out with you the whole time you're here," She shrugged one shoulder casually as if it were natural to hold that much power._

 _"_ _Okay, I'll sit down," Josh allowed. "But only because I want to," He pointed out._

 _It wasn_ _'t that he was afraid of not being able to date other girls. It was that he was afraid of what would happen if Maya moved on and he never got a chance with her, because he wouldn't be able to move on from Maya without having another girl to fall back on, as awful as that sounded._

 _"_ _Maya, he's seventeen and you're fourteen?" Jasmine asked._

 _"_ _Yeah," Maya frowned._

 _"_ _That may seem like a real big difference now, but here in college, we learn a really difficult math," Jasmine explained kindly._

 _"_ _Yeah, and when you get here, you'll be eighteen and he'll be twenty one. And the good news is that he'll be smarter because he'll be in college," Charlotte explained with a wink that caused Maya to giggle._

 _"_ _And he just may be smart enough to look at you differently," Jasmine finished, eyes locked on Josh with a warning look._

 _Because Jasmine knew. Josh could tell that she knew. She knew that Josh was risking everything because of his refusal to admit his feelings for Maya. She knew that he needed to figure things out, or he would risk losing her forever. And she wanted to make sure that he knew that too._

 _"_ _Okay, thank you guys for figuring out my entire life for me, but this has been the worst party of my life," Josh nodded, turning towards the younger girls. "Come on, let's go."_

 _"_ _Oh, you're leaving?" Jasmine frowned._

 _"_ _I'm gonna walk them home," Josh said through clenched teeth. He somewhat hated himself for having proven Maya right._

* * *

" _I just wanted to say goodbye. Very interesting visit," Josh smirked as he walked into Riley's bedroom, eyes locked on Maya._

 _"_ _Josh, you told them?" Riley gasped._

 _"_ _Told them what, Riley?" He frowned. "That nothing happened? Why would I tell them nothing happened if nothing happened? Why would I tell them that?" He asked, somewhat playing with her but mostly confused._

 _After all, he would never risk getting his niece into trouble, especially if it would get Maya in trouble as well._

 _"_ _It's okay, Josh," Cory said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Maya told us."_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Maya told us everything," Topanga explained._

 _"_ _I wouldn't rat you out, Riley," Josh promised. "Sorry, Cory. Guess I'm still your little brother. huh?" He winced._

 _"_ _No, Josh," Cory shook his head. "You were so looking forward to making new friends at that party, but you left. Just to make sure that Maya and Riley got home safely. You're not so little anymore, Josh. I guess I have to stop looking at you that way," Cory shrugged._

 _"_ _Thanks, that means a lot to me," Josh smiled._

 _"_ _Maya, why did you tell them?" Riley whined._

 _"_ _It was a choice I made for myself. I thought it was the grown up thing to do," Maya said confidently._

 _"_ _It was," Josh smiled at her. "You're not so little anymore, Maya. I guess I have to stop looking at you like that," He winked._

 _"_ _Thanks," She smirked. "Means a lot to me," she giggled._

 _Nobody had to know about their dirty little secret, from the previous night when Josh had walked them home. Nobody had to know about the kiss that the two of them had shared on the fire escape before Maya had ducked into the room._

 _Riley thought that Maya had just received a lecture from Josh, because that was what Maya had told her. Nobody else knew that Maya had received the second kiss of her life that night, out on the fire escape._

 _And Maya kind of liked it that way. She sort of enjoyed the fact that nobody knew about either one of her kisses so far in life. It was a secret-something she got to keep to herself. And she didn_ _'t have many things that the rest of the people in her life didn't know about, so when she got to enjoy her secrets, she enjoyed every second of them. And, besides, her feelings for Josh were public knowledge. Her relationship with Josh didn't need to be broadcasted as well._

 _She was sure that nobody would understand, anyways. They weren_ _'t anything official. Not yet._

 _Josh hadn_ _'t told her to wait for him and she hadn't made him promise to wait for her. Instead, they were just going to let life happen. They would take whatever came at them whenever it came._

 _The kiss was just hope. Hope for a future. It was enough to make Maya start to believe in hope. It was enough to give Maya a little faith._


	10. Lucaya Strong

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 10: Lucaya Strong **

_**A/N: Here's the Lucaya moments! I ended up doing some scenes that were alluded to in the series so far and some that actually happened in the series as well. That way, you guys get the real essence of their relationship for this story. It's super long, so I hope it doesn't get boring to read (it's nearly 10,00 words). Enjoy and let me know what you think!**_

 _ **A/N2: After this, it's back to the story. I know that I skipped some of the more major Lucas/Maya moments but that's because they're being saved for later on in the story. These are just the moments that could be seen as their friendship or their romantic relationship with some more detail given, strengthening the argument that it's a romantic relationship.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Girl Meets World or the rights to Boy Meets World. All characters belong to their original creators. After all, if I owned GMW, I wouldn't be writing this fan fiction. I would be making it happen in the show. And the show would be on free form because I feel robbed of the Lucaya kiss because of Disney's "one kiss per season" rule.**_

* * *

" _Oh! What I forgot to mention is that I'm completely reinventing myself now. I have kiwi lips now and I'm just as cool as you now!" Riley chirped cheerfully as the girls stood on the subway._

 _Maya rolled her eyes at her friend who was clutching the subway pole for dear life. In comparison to the way Maya was casually leaning against it, it was clear who the newbie was and who was a natural on the subway. It was clear who was the mature one and who was the child. And it was clear who the cool one was and which one was_ _…well, which one was Riley._

 _She was just about to make a sarcastic remark about the subject when she noticed him sitting there, anxiously scanning a subway map in his hands._

 _He was gorgeous. He had sandy blonde hair that was almost brunette and it was cut short on the sides but just a little bit longer in the center. His eyes were a deep shade of dark green, so vibrant that Maya could detect their color from where he sat. He was frowning as he studied the map, clenched in his hands which made the thick muscles in his forearms bulge. He had broad shoulders and Maya could tell that he was tall-and not just tall to her._

 _Despite the fact that he was clearly terrified of the subway, he had a confidence about him that Maya couldn_ _'t help but be intrigued by. Maybe that confidence came from being older than Maya and Riley-because she figured he had to be a year or two older, at least._

 _And then it happened. He glanced up from the map, shoving it angrily into his pocket and his eyes locked on Maya_ _'s. He stared into her eyes for about five seconds before a slow smile crept onto his face, creating two perfectly carved dimples in his cheeks. His eyes lit up as he studied her, clearly enjoying what he was looking at._

 _Never before had Maya been so attracted to one of her male peers. She needed Riley to notice him and she needed to stake her claim. She didn_ _'t care if he was older than her. She was going to make it work._

 _"_ _Yeah?" Maya smirked. "Let's see how cool you can be when you look at him," She nodded towards the new boy._

 _Riley turned around, glancing at the boy._

 _Behind her back, Maya smiled back at him, which only made him smile deeper. Riley turned towards Maya giggling with a goody grin on her own face. The boy looked down towards his lap before Riley even had a chance to turn back to Maya._

 _It was clear that Riley thought that the smile from the boy had been from her. And as much as Maya liked this boy already, she knew that Riley needed it more than she did._

 _Besides, what were the odds of her ever running into him again?_

 _So, she decided to turn this into a lesson to Riley._

 _"_ _Yeah, you're gonna need some lessons," Maya nodded. "Let me show you everything you need to know about boys and girls," She smirked, shaking out her blonde curls and making her way over towards the boy._

 _He looked up as soon as she was in front of him, as if he had known that she was coming from him._

 _"_ _Hi, I'm Maya," She beamed at him, casually leaning against the subway pole. "You're really cute," She winked._

 _The boy looked up, that brilliant smile returning as he took in the compliment._

 _"_ _We should hang out sometime!" Maya said brightly. "You make my happy," She explained as she dropped down into the seat next to him._

 _The boy started to frown, clearly confused by the girl_ _'s actions._

 _"_ _You don't pay enough attention to me. This isn't working out. It's you, not me," Maya went on, rising to her feet and loving the way he was responding._

 _As though catching onto what she was doing, he bit down on his bottom lip as if holding in laughter. Maya sort of thought it was sexy. Even though she had determined that she was going to give this one to Riley. There would be plenty of other guys for Maya._

 _"_ _We can still be friends-not really," She shrugged, turning on her heel and stalking back to Riley. "He's available. We just broke up," She said casually, as if thirty second relationships were not big deal to a girl like her._

 _"_ _Are you okay?" Riley asked, eyes growing as wide as saucers. "Do we need to talk about it?" She pouted._

 _"_ _You still wanna be like me?"_

 _"_ _I want to be exactly like you!" Riley gushed. "I think too much and you don't think at all!"_

 _"_ _See? You get me, so let's not think," Maya grinned mischievously as she unlatched Riley's hand from around the pole, smirking as Riley fell directly into Lucas's lap-after a slight push from Maya, of course._

* * *

 _The brunette fell into his lap and Lucas immediately knew exactly what the blonde had been trying to accomplish._

 _"_ _Hi! We were just talking about you. You used to go out with my friend Maya!" The brunette chirped cheerfully right a bright smile on her face._

 _She was cute. Incredibly adorable, actually. She was like a kid sister-somebody that Lucas felt a need to protect. She was nothing like Maya, the incredible blonde who excited every bone in his body, the incredibly sexy and determined girl. The gorgeous little shortstop that Lucas didn_ _'t think he'd ever be able to get enough of._

 _"_ _I'm Lucas," He said, eyes locked on the tiny little blonde who was watching the scene with a proud smile on her face, but a sad twinkle in her eyes._

 _He wanted to push the brunette aside and run to the blonde, but she had initiated the whole thing. Besides, what were the odds of running into these girls again?_

* * *

 _It was the proudest moment of Lucas's life._

 _He was partnered with Maya for a project and she was going to his house. He got to spend time with her without Riley or Farkle around. He got to spend time with her alone outside the halls of John Quincy Adams Middle School._

 _And their flirtatious relationship had only been growing stronger. She had given him a new nickname-one that he actually found pretty amusing, since his favorite book when was younger had always been_ _ **Huckleberry Finn-**_ _and they even had their own little thing now._

 _Sure, it was probably going to get annoying eventually when she shoved her face into his and screamed_ _"HA-HURR" but he would never complain about the fact that her face was only about an inch away from his own and that if he really wanted to, he could take her face in his hands and pull her into kiss her._

 _Besides, he loved their little game. It was his favorite part of every single day._

 _"_ _She's here!" He yelled excitedly, shooting from his bedroom and racing his mother towards the door._

 _He had gotten home from school and anxiously informed his mother that the girl he had been talking about since his first day in New York would be coming over. He had then jumped into the shower, changed into something a little nicer than his typical school clothes, and spent forever trying to make his hair perfect._

 _His mother had gotten a lecture about not embarrassing him and he had begged her to wait to go pick up their dinner until after Maya arrived so that they could have some time without his lingering mother there._

 _Because he was going to tell Maya about how he felt that night._

 _Whatever unofficial thing he had been forced into having with Riley be damned. It was time. He was going to tell Maya that he liked her. he was going to inform her that he was into blondes, not brunettes. He wanted her and that was all there was to it. Nobody was going to convince him otherwise._

 _He stopped at the door, taking a few seconds to catch his breathe and calm himself down. He patted at his hair and then threw open the door, trying to remain casual._

 _"_ _HA-HURR!" Maya burst out, leaning right into his face before breaking away with a wide smile, clearly amused with herself._

 _"_ _You done?" He asked her._

 _"_ _Lucas? What's going-Oh, you must be Maya!" His mother came walking towards the front door with a concerned smile on her face that immediately turned into a warm one when she spotted the blonde standing there._

 _"_ _Hi, Mrs. Hart!" She grinned, holding out a wooden picture frame with a beautiful, water-colored portrait of brightly colored wild flowers. "I made this for you when I got home from school. I would have brought flowers, but I always get so sad when they die," She explained._

 _"_ _You…you painted this?" His mother asked, accepting the gift and staring at it in awe._

 _"_ _I told you, mamma," Lucas grinned. "She's full of talent," he bragged._

 _"_ _I'm not that good-I just wanted to thank you for inviting me over for dinner and letting us use your kitchen for our project. My mom has to work a late shift at the diner tonight," Maya explained sweetly._

 _Lucas had never seen her act so politely before. To Mr. Matthews, she was always the same feisty little ball of sass that she was to the rest of her friends. This was a different side of Maya and he sort of loved that she was bringing it out to his mother, as though she felt like she needed approval from Rose Friar._

 _"_ _It's incredible! And there's no need to call me Mrs. Friar," his mother insisted. "Besides, I'm not exactly a "mrs" anymore. You can call me Rose," She smiled._

 _Lucas paled, his face tensing up as his mother brought up the fact that his father wasn_ _'t really a part of the their family anymore. He hadn't told any of his friends about the divorce yet and he hadn't planned on telling them anytime soon._

 _"_ _Anyways, I'll let you two get to work. I'll come check on you in a bit to find out what you want for dinner? I'm just going to go change," his mother smiled as she turned to walk towards her bedroom._

 _"_ _Your parents are divorced?" Maya whispered as his mother left._

 _"_ _Uh..yeah, that's why we left Texas," Lucas admitted, reaching to rub at the back of his neck uncomfortably._

 _"_ _My dad left eight years ago. He said he was going for a walk and that he'd be back in an hour. He never came back and I don't really know where he is…all I know is that he's got a new family. One that he's proud of," Maya explained to him. "Even Riley doesn't know that just left. She…she doesn't really know how bad it is between us. So…don't tell her, okay?"_

 _Lucas worked to suppress the grin that he could feeling coming because of the fact that he had been trusted with a secret that not even Riley knew about Maya. He felt special-he felt trusted._

 _"_ _Anyways, let's start the muffins? I searched a couple different recipes online but they're all really…sugary," she made a face at the word._

 _"_ _Isn't that good? People love sugar," Lucas shrugged as he led her towards the kitchen._

 _"_ _We don't want to fatten up the cliental," Maya rolled her eyes. "I thought you agreed that a good business would make the customers feel important?" she asked._

 _"_ _Well, yeah…but don't we want to do well?"_

 _"_ _We can do well and still make sure the customers are getting something good," Maya told him sternly._

 _"_ _Well…we can check my mom's cookbooks? She's big into healthy eating," He offered._

 _"_ _I knew I liked your mom!" Maya grinned._

* * *

 _Lucas's mother had left to pick up some Japanese food for their dinner, leaving the two middle school students to work on their baking together._

 _That was her first mistake._

 _"_ _Huckleberry, you're going to make the batter too tough!" Maya shrieked, knocking him away from the Kitchen Aide and clicking the off button. "You can't stir something with flour in it that much!" she turned towards him to lecture him, but she couldn't remain stern when she saw what he looked like._

 _When she had shoved him, she had knocked him against the counter, causing the opened bag of flour to fall and coat the button down shirt he was wearing with white powder. Maya wasn_ _'t sure why he had chosen to change into a pair of straight leg, perfectly blue, denim jeans with a red button down shirt to spend the evening baking with her, but she had to admit that he looked adorable._

 _"_ _You did that on purpose!" He accused her, starting to unbutton his shirt._

 _"_ _I really didn't, but it's actually hilarious," She giggled._

 _"_ _Oh yeah?" He smirked, tossing his shirt to the floor and revealing a simple, white v-neck tee shirt that clung to his muscular torso like a second skin. "Well, this was an accident, too," Lucas said calmly, grabbing an egg and smashing it onto her head._

 _Her blonde curls had been pulled up into a messy, sky-high ponytail and then twisted into a sloppy, tumbling bun when Lucas had found a few curly blonde strands on the counter. She was wearing a pair of dark wash, distressed denim shorts with a grey racer back, ribbed tank top. And now there was egg yolk dripping into her face._

 _"_ _Oh, it is_ _ **on,"**_ _Maya's eyes narrowed as she grabbed a handful of eggs and started throwing them at the much taller boy._

 _And then it was an all on food fight._

 _Lucas grabbed a brand new bag of flour and ripped it open, dumping it on her. Maya grabbed a handful of brown sugar and smeared it on his face. Lucas cracked another egg over her head. Maya blew baking soda into his face. Lucas dumped the vanilla on her. Maya squeezed a handful of blueberries over his head._

 _Then, he started chasing her around the kitchen, trying to pick her up and stop her from attacking him anymore. When he reached her, she was standing against the kitchen island with his arms latched on either side of her, palms against the butcher block counter top. Maya looked up at him with wide, worried eyes, panicked about what he was going to do next._

 _"_ _HA-HURR!" She gulped, trying to make him back away and stall, putting her face close to his._

 _He couldn_ _'t take the temptation anymore. He closed the distance between the two of them, his hands sliding not her hips as he pulled her close to him, claiming her first kiss for his own and giving her his first kiss._

* * *

" _Somebody told Farkle that he doesn't deserve us as friends."_

 _"_ _Who?" Maya's eyebrows arched into a perfect V as her eyes narrowed and her mouth formed a perfectly straight line._

 _"_ _It's not important," Farkle insisted._

 _"_ _It's the most important thing in the world," Maya snapped. "I'll find him myself and I'd hate to be him when I do," She turned on her heel and started to storm from the room._

 _Lucas rolled his eyes, grabbing her from beneath the armpits and lifting her right off of the ground._

 _He was amazed that the tiny little spitfire was willing to go and defend Farkle. It just attracted him to her even more. He loved how passionate she got when it came to her friends. He was the same way, but he had learned long ago that he couldn_ _'t just go around beating people up when they upset him. He didn't want Maya to learn the lesson the same way that he had had to._

 _"_ _Am I there yet?" She asked._

 _"_ _Farkle, don't let what anybody says get to you. That's what gives them power," Lucas explained._

 _"_ _Why are you my friend?" Farkle shot at him._

 _"_ _What is it with that?" He groaned._

 _Maya wanted to start to yell at Farkle for acting as though Lucas were the problem. Because he wasn_ _'t. He was doing everything he could to help Farkle feel better, but Farkle just kept acting as though Lucas was pulling some elaborate prank on him. And that didn't sit well with her. But, Farkle was clearly upset and she couldn't just start yelling at him. It wasn't fair, because she knew that he didn't mean to blame Lucas._

 _And besides, being held in Lucas_ _'s arms was sort of relaxing and she didn't want to do anything that would damage her place there._

 _Things had been a little tense sense their kiss during their muffin project, but Maya was willing to put that aside if it meant they could go back to their usual physical contact, because the sparks that went through her body whenever he touched her were something that she never wanted to give up._

 _It didn_ _'t matter about her little crush on Josh. Lucas was Bucky Mcboing Boing for a reason._

 _Whatever Josh made Maya feel, Lucas made her feel twice as strong._

 _Which was why, as protective of Riley and Farkle she was, she was even more protective towards Lucas, which was ironic because he was the only person who didn_ _'t need her protection. He was strong enough to protect all of their friends and himself._

 _He was the only person who realized that Maya needed protection herself. Who knew that it wasn_ _'t fair to make her protect herself twenty-four-seven._

 _Lucas was special to her and she wasn_ _'t going to allow anything to risk that. All she had to do now was figure out something to do about the fact that Riley was in love with Lucas-or, at least, she thought she was._

* * *

" _This is a very special place to us, Lucas," Riley explained brightly._

 _"_ _This is where Riley and I figure out our most important stuff," Maya went on._

 _"_ _Do you ever talk about me here?" He asked, eyes locked on the blonde._

 _Riley gasped, staring straight ahead with wide eyes. Maya was grateful, because it meant that she didn_ _'t notice that Lucas was focused on Maya._

 _"_ _What do I do now? I don't know what to do!" Riley panicked._

 _"_ _Start over and move on," Maya said, shooting Lucas a pointed look._

 _"_ _This is a very special place to us, Lucas," She chuckled._

 _"_ _Do you ever talk about me here?" Lucas grinned playfully, eyes still focused on Maya._

 _"_ _You gave me bad advice!" Riley whined._

 _"_ _Well," Lucas chuckled awkwardly. "I appreciate you having me here. Whatever Farkle's dealing with, he shouldn't have to go through it alone," He was stating the obvious but he was trying to change the subject._

 _"_ _I want my Farkle back. We're not as good without him," Maya whined, leaning her head on Lucas's shoulder. "If you tell him I said that, I will jack you up, son," she warned._

 _Cory pocked his head into the room, glancing at the three middle schoolers._

 _"_ _Ah, the brain trust! You guys have one day to figure this out and fix Farkle, or else you come to an adult. You understand me?" He raised his eyebrows._

 _"_ _Yes, sir," Lucas nodded._

 _"_ _Yes, dad," Riley beamed._

 _"_ _Yes, Mr. Matthews," Maya rolled her eyes._

 _And with that, Cory left._

 _"_ _If we could just find out who this guy was, then I know…"She trailed off, looking at Lucas with pleading eyes. "You'd take care of him," she whispered._

 _He wasn_ _'t shocked that she asked that. He knew that she wanted to resort to violence by the way she had reacted in the janitor's closet earlier that day. She wasn't going to settle for anything less than her own form of revenge, and she believed that revenge would only be achieved by beating the crap out of anyone that hurt her friends._

 _"_ _What? Beat him up? Maya, all those people on the blackboard never became like the people who were attacking them by resorting to their methods. It's just not the first response of an intelligent person," Lucas said, staring into Maya's eyes with a pleading look._

 _Maya knew that he would do it, if she asked him to._

 _He would resort to violence to keep her happy, because he wanted to impress her. He wanted to make her proud._

 _But, she could tell that he was silently begging her not to ask him to do that. There was something deeper going on that made him fearful of resorting to violence. And Maya wasn_ _'t going to rest until she knew what it was._

 _Before she could ask, though, Cory came running into the room._

 _'_ _GET OUT!" He shouted, running towards Lucas as the younger boy dove over Maya's lap and quickly climbed through the window._

* * *

" _Lucas! Maya's here!"_

 _He shot forward in his bed, glancing down at himself in a panic. He wasn_ _'t prepared to see Maya. He was dressed in a pair of basketball shows, with no shirt on. He had been lying in bed tossing a baseball into the air and catching it before repeating the process over and over again. His room was a mess and his hair was a mess._

 _Before he could even grab a shirt, the door to his room flew open and Maya walked in._

 _"_ _Thanks, Mamma Friar but you really don't have to make any cookies. I'm not sure how long I'll be staying," Maya was saying with a wide grin on her face._

 _"_ _It's barbecue night! Nonsense-you're staying for dinner and you and Lucas can have some cookies for a snack. Your mom works the late shift on Wednesdays anyways, doesn't she? There's no sense in sending you home to an empty apartment," he hear his mother insisting._

 _"_ _Well, if you insist!" Maya grinned._

 _"_ _Close the door behind you!" She called out, shocking Lucas._

 _Maya smirked as she closed the bedroom door behind her and plopped down onto Lucas_ _'s bed, seeming to ignore the fact that he was shirtless._

 _"_ _We need to talk, Huckleberry," She stated._

 _"_ _About?" He asked._

 _"_ _First, you need to put a shirt on," Maya rolled her eyes, holding her hands up in front of her face as though he were repulsive._

 _"_ _What?" He smirked. "My abs distracting you?" He stuck his tongue out, teasing her._

 _"_ _Just put a shirt on," She rolled her eyes, but from the way she was avoiding looking at him it was clear that his muscles actually were distracting her._

 _"_ _Fine," He rolled his eyes, leaning over the side of his bed and grabbing a white tee shirt._

 _"_ _Anyways, what was up with all of that at Riley's? What happened that you're so adverse to violence? Your dad…he didn't hit you, right?" Maya asked, staring at him intently._

 _"_ _What? No, of course not," Lucas laughed. Then he stopped and studied her, long and hard. "Why? Your dad never hit you or your mom, right?" He asked, every aspect of him serious as he spoke._

 _"_ _No," Maya shook her head. "So, what happened?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows._

 _"_ _Something happened in Texas….something bad," he admitted._

 _"_ _Did you hurt somebody?" Maya asked._

 _"_ _I hurt somebody bad…I…uh…I sort of put some kid in the hospital. He hurt my friend Zay, because he didn't like Zay's attitude. Zay sort of had a mouth like you, and it gets him into trouble sometimes. He's my Riley," Lucas explained._

 _"_ _And when you saw somebody hurting him you jumped on the chance to hurt him back?" Maya asked._

 _"_ _I got expelled. I'm a year older than the rest of you, and when my school wouldn't take me back the next year….well, it was at the same time as the divorce and my mom thought it might be good for me to get away and start somewhere fresh. I spend the year in therapy and then we moved here so I could redo the seventh grade," He explained._

 _"_ _Why didn't you tell us before?" Maya asked, placing a hand on his shoulder._

 _"_ _I didn't want you guys to think less of me," he lowered his head._

 _"_ _Lucas, I could never think any less of you," Maya promised._

 _"_ _You called me Lucas," He grinned._

 _"_ _Yeah," Maya smirked. "I did," She nodded._

 _"_ _Listen…could, you, uh…maybe not tell Farkle and Riley about this?" he asked._

 _"_ _I won't, but you have to promise me that you'll tell them eventually. It's your secret to tell, so I'll keep it for you, but not forever," Maya promised him._

 _"_ _I will…I just need some time," Lucas promised her, flashing her a grateful smile._

 _"_ _Hey, it's not like you've never agreed to keep a secret for me before," Maya smiled._

 _"_ _I've kept a couple of secrets for you before," Lucas winked at her._

 _"_ _Oh yeah?"_

 _"_ _Yeah."_

 _"_ _Like?"_

 _"_ _Like this," Lucas smirked, grabbing her face and swooping in to press his lips against hers._

 _He had expected her to push him away and storm off, but instead she moved closer, cupping his face with her own hands as she kissed him back._

 _This kiss was so much sweeter than the one before it. It made him realize that he never wanted to kiss anybody else, because it would never be as good as with Maya. The fourteen year old boy in him wondered what it would be like to do more with her, but he was fine with just kissing her, because he knew that was all she would be ready for._

 _When they pulled away, he rested his forehead against her own, a slow smile stretching across his face._

 _"_ _You can never tell Riley about that," Maya said breathlessly. "She'll never forgive me," she whispered._

 _"_ _Maya," Lucas sighed. "I don't want Riley, and I know you guys all want me to be with her but…I don't want Riley, okay?" He said._

 _"_ _I know," She answered. "I don't want you to be with Riley either, but that's just the way that it has to be," Maya pleaded with him._

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _It just does…please, just make it work. At least try? And then…if it doesn't work out after you gave it your all to make things work with her, you and I can try to be together, okay? But I can't risk losing her," Maya begged him her eyes starting to fill with tears._

 _"_ _I'll do it," Lucas promised her, that protectiveness taking over once again. "I promise you that I'll do it, for you," He assured her._

 _"_ _You're a good guy, Lucas…you're my best friend," She smiled at him, a sad and longing smile. "And I don't want you to change, so when we find out who was picking on Farkle, I don't want you to hurt them, okay?" She whispered._

* * *

" _Where's Farkle?"_

 _"_ _I thought he said he wasn't going to miss anymore classes?"_

 _"_ _Then why haven't we seen him?"_

 _"_ _Oh, hey, man! Baseball after school?" Billy Ross asked Lucas with a smile as he walked into the gym the next day, interrupting Lucas and Maya's conversation._

 _"_ _Oh, I don't think I'm gonna make it. My buddy's still being hassled and I wanna be there for him," Lucas said absently._

 _"_ _Your buddy?" Billy frowned. "You mean Farkle?" He made a face._

 _"_ _Yeah, nobody's seen him," Lucas shrugged._

 _"_ _You're better off," Billy scoffed._

 _"_ _Excuse me?"_

 _"_ _Come on, Lucas-I don't really see Farkle as your buddy."_

 _"_ _Why not?"_

 _"_ _You don't think he's different than us?"_

 _"_ _What do you mean? Smarter? Yeah, he's the smartest kid in school, but he doesn't make a big deal out of it," Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, he does wanna take over the world and everything, but frankly I'd like to see what he does with it," Lucas grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement._

 _"_ _Lucas, Farkle is a nothing," Billy said harshly._

 _And that_ _'s when Lucas snapped._

 _He grabbed Billy, pinning him up against the wall and glaring at him._

 _"_ _You're the one who did this to Farkle? Why would you do that to a guy like him?" Lucas shouted, the veins in his neck popping as his muscles bulged._

 _"_ _I don't know," Billy rolled his eyes. "'Cause he's a guy like him? You wanna let me go now?"_

 _"_ _You're the nothing, Billy," Lucas snapped._

 _Maya had never found Lucas sexier, but their conversation from the night before replayed in her mind and she knew that she had to do something to stop it._

 _"_ _Lucas, don't," She spoke up, voice confident._

 _"_ _I thought this was what you wanted, Maya," Lucas asked, shooting her a look over his shoulder full of desperation._

 _"_ _What? She wanted you to pop me, Mr. Perfect? Well, I don't think that's what he's gonna do," Billy smirked. He opened his mouth to say something else but Lucas cut him off._

 _"_ _Yeah," He chuckled. "No, that's what I'm gonna do," he brought his fist back, ready to hit Billy._

 _"_ _NO!" Maya screamed, launching herself onto Lucas's back. "That's what he wants! He wants you to be like him!" Maya begged._

 _Lucas couldn_ _'t do anything with Maya on his back. He was too afraid of hurting her in his efforts to try and hurt Billy. He dropped his fist and allowed her touch to do what it always did. As soon as she made contact with him, he began to calm down. He was relaxed and he couldn't even dream of hurting Billy. How could he risk being right where he was with these people-with this incredible girl-just so that he could hurt some idiot guy?_

 _He didn_ _'t want to be like Billy. Maya wasn't impressed with a guy like Billy. But, she was impressed with Lucas and he wasn't going to do anything to change that fact, because he loved her._

* * *

" _Boys have it easy. They get to ask," Riley complained as she walked down the hallway with Maya. "Oh yeah, they wouldn't last a day in our shoes. Waiting for them to get the courage to ask us!" She whined._

 _Maya was getting sick of listening to Riley complain about how Lucas hadn_ _'t asked her out yet. She sort of wanted to ask if Riley had ever considered that maybe Lucas hadn't asked because he wasn't , she knew that would be too cruel._

 _"_ _And then doing the vacuuming and ironing the babies," Maya rolled her eyes. "Riley, this isn't the nineties anymore. You want something? You go get it," she rolled her eyes as she approached Farkle and Lucas who were having their own in-depth conversation._

 _"_ _You're telling me you're not a little bit afraid of this?"_

 _"_ _No."_

 _"_ _You're saying that if you had feelings for somebody that you wouldn't be nervous?"_

 _"_ _No, the only thing that makes me nervous is that the thing that everybody wants to happen never happens because everybody's too afraid to make it happen," Maya complained. "Watch and learn," Maya replied, putting her hands into her jacket pocket._

 _Riley followed her as the blonde led them over towards the boys._

 _"_ _Hey, Ranger Rick," Maya smirked._

 _"_ _Hey, other one," He winked._

 _"_ _You wanna go out with me?"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Do you wanna take me to a movie and put our hands in the popcorn at the same time and see what happens or what?"_

* * *

" _Girls have it easy."_

 _"_ _Yeah, we gotta do all the asking!"_

 _"_ _All they have to say is no," Farkle pouted._

 _"_ _Well, they could say yes," Lucas pointed out._

 _"_ _They could do that?" Farkle asked in complete shock._

 _Lucas made a face, trying to figure out what he could do to avoid answering that question when he saw the girls enter the hallway they were sitting in. Rather than respond, he focused on the blonde and remembered the conversation he had had with her about trying to make things work with Riley._

 _"_ _You know what I was afraid of?" Farkle asked, breaking Lucas from his thoughts._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _You," Farkle responded._

 _"_ _How come?"_

 _"_ _I know we're good friends and all, but I've always considered you a bit of a threat. Just like I know you've always considered me a bit of a threat," He explained._

 _"_ _Yeah, you keep me up at night," Lucas laughed._

 _"_ _But, now I realize you're actually the solution to my Riley-Maya dilemma," Farkle beamed._

 _"_ _How do you figure, Farkle?"_

 _"_ _I just never asked one out because I knew it would break the heart of the other one," Farkle shrugged, failing to specify if there was a certain girl that he was considering over the other, but Lucas was pretty sure that he meant Maya when he used the terms "the other one", because Riley was always center stage to everybody, except for Lucas._

 _"_ _What if I ask one of 'em out?" Lucas asked, tempting the situation._

 _"_ _Bye-bye, I get the other one," Farkle shrugged._

 _"_ _What if I ask the other one out?"_

 _"_ _Hello, I get the first one. How long do you wanna keep doing this?"_

 _"_ _Well, there's only two of them."_

 _"_ _So, you're going to ask one of them out?"_

 _"_ _Maybe I will someday."_

 _"_ _Hey, Ranger Rick!"_

 _"_ _Hey, other one," Lucas grinned and saw Farkle tense up, realizing what Lucas and meant earlier._

 _"_ _You wanna go out with me?"_

 _The words were like music to Lucas_ _'s ears._

 _Maya was asking him out. She was breaking the boundaries that she had set up herself. There was a chance for Maya and Lucas after all. All he had to do was say yes, because he would get her. He could have the girl that he wanted and everything would be okay._

 _"_ _What?" He asked, just because he wanted to hear those words again._

 _"_ _Do you wanna take me to a movie and put our hands in the popcorn at the same time and see what happens or what?"_

 _Farkle jumped to his feet and ran over towards a shocked Riley._

 _"_ _Okay, you and me 'cause I don't care!" he grinned, swinging an arm over the brunettes shoulders._

* * *

" _I'M UP IN THE AIR, LUCAS!" Zay's voice broke through Cory's class and Maya's eyes grew wide as she realized what was happening._

 _"_ _Oh, not again," Lucas groaned. Maya heard his chair squeak and knew he was going after his old friend. "I'll be right back, sir."_

 _"_ _Lucas?"_

 _"_ _I'm okay, sir."_

 _Maya turned around, watching him leave._

 _"_ _Lucas?"_

 _Lucas turned around and found Maya_ _'s eyes._

 _"_ _I'm okay, sir. If I mange not to come back expelled, you all have changed me," He said, meaning it for the class but focusing his eyes on Maya._

 _"_ _Dad?" Riley asked as she watched him leave._

 _Cory walked out of the room after Lucas. Maya was on her feet immediately chasing after him, with Riley and Farkle on her heels._

 _"_ _I did it again. I'm sorry," Zay winced._

 _He was up in the air with an eighth grader Maya had never seen before holding him by the neck of his shirt._

 _""_ _It's okay, Zay. Get outta here," Lucas shook his head._

 _The guy released Zay, turning around and leaning against the new kid. Zay slid out from behind him and ran away to a place of safety behind Maya._

 _"_ _Are you kidding me? I had a neck in my hand. I liked it. I miss it. You my new neck?" He pointed at Lucas._

 _"_ _Are you the one? Because there's one in every school, isn't there? So, in this school you're the-"_

 _"_ _Yeah, it's me."_

 _"_ _Daddy, are you going to stop this?"_

 _"_ _Not yet."_

 _"_ _I couldn't help but notice your pointy boots. Back in Texas, we appreciate a nice pointy boot. They can end a fight real quick," Lucas grabbed the taller boy's wrists and pinned him up against the lockers. "Unless somebody knows how to put his heel in the soft part where all your toes are," he smirked, moving his foot onto of the other kid's boots._

 _"_ _OW."_

 _"_ _Now, I'm sure you'd like to throw a punch? Except, I got both your wrists and I'm strong as a horse. I don't even work at it. I just am," Lucas growled, his voice low._

 _"_ _The way I see it? All that matters is what happens after you let go."_

 _"_ _Yeah, I know it's be simpler to just start takin' shots at each other, but I' m going to tell you something and you really need to hear this. In the end, you're going to be the one on the floor and Im going to be the one who walks away," He said, his southern twang coming out strong._

 _"_ _Oh," Maya shuddered._

 _That was all it took._

 _That one syllable and Lucas was snapped back into reality. Maya believed in him, and she didn_ _'t want him to be like that. She had stopped him before and she was stopping him again, even if she didn't realize that she was doing anything to stop it._

 _Maya_ _'s voice had the power to calm him down. He just needed to know that Maya was there for him._

* * *

" _A buffalo nickel. That's what you're putting in the time capsule?" Maya giggled, but immediately regretted it when she remembered the story Lucas had told her one time, when he had been groaning as his mother showed Maya an old photo album of a baby Lucas._

 _"_ _Yeah, my grandfather gave it to me for….anyway, my grandfather gave it to me!" Lucas cut himself off before he could tell his friends the funniest part of the story, immediately ending it with a cheerful tone._

 _"_ _No, no, no, no, no-for what? Pappy Joe gave it to you for what?" Maya prompted._

 _"_ _Don't call his grandfather pappy Joe!"_

 _"_ _It actually was Pappy Joe," Lucas hung his head._

 _"_ _You knew that?"_

 _Maya paled, knowing that she had revealed something she shouldn_ _'t have. Nobody was supposed to know just how close Lucas and she were. They couldn't know about all of the times the two hung out together at Lucas's house or her own. It would just upset Riley, who still hadn't met Lucas's mother._

 _"_ _Eh," Maya stalled. "It would've been anything I said. Why'd he give you the nickel? Why?" She changed the subject, turning to focus on Lucas so Riley couldn't see the look in her eyes._

 _"_ _Nothing. He gave it to me for being a good little boy," Lucas nodded with a smile, his eyes warning Maya to stop._

 _"_ _No, no, no, no, no, no-tell us!" She demanded._

 _"_ _I was a little kid. I went to a kiddie rodeo. And I was the only one who made it the whole eight seconds!" Lucas bragged._

 _"_ _You rode a bull?" Maya raised her eyebrows._

 _"_ _It was sort of like a bull," Lucas nodded, shooting her another pointed look._

 _"_ _Here comes funny!" Maya cheered._

 _"_ _I rode a sheep," Lucas grumbled._

 _They all started to laugh and Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Maya for making him admit it. Maya thought he should be grateful that she hadn_ _'t made him tell the whole truth of the story._

 _"_ _It's a real thing! It's called mutton busting! Riley, you're laughing at me?" He frowned, turning towards Riley, knowing she would take pity on him._

 _"_ _No," Riley shrugged, making an awkward face as she attempted to hide her laughter._

 _"_ _I wanted to be a rodeo star. But, I got older and I gave up on it," Lucas shrugged._

 _"_ _Aww, don't ever give up on your sheep riding dreams! You go out there and you become the best sheep rider the world has ever seen!"_

 _Maya and Lucas turned around at the voice and were shocked to find Maya_ _'s mom standing behind them with an apron and bright smile._

 _"_ _Mom….what are you doing?" Maya paled._

 _"_ _As long as I'm here, I've decided to give out valuable life-living advice, like Cory and Topanga! So, you all come to me when you're feeling lost in this world and I'm gonna fix you right up," She grinned at the group._

 _Lucas smiled, grateful for the fact that Katy Hart liked him and always encouraged him. She always defended him because of Maya_ _'s teasings, whereas his mom encouraged Maya's antics with the nicknames and the "ha-hurrs" and the Texas-stereotypes. She thought that Maya was hilarious and always went on about how adorable the blonde was. It only encouraged Maya to keep them up and it sometimes gave her extra ammunition, like when his mother had told Maya about Lucas's rodeo dreams and his Pappy Joe._

 _Although, he had to give the blonde credit. She had never made fun of him for the things she knew Lucas wanted to keep to himself. Even this story had had the most horrifying events taken out of it to spare Lucas and his dignity._

 _It was just another thing that he loved at her. She could tease him relentlessly and she never failed to tease him. But, she knew where to draw the line and he appreciated that. She may love to torture him. Her goal may be to break him and finally get to him, but she didn_ _'t want anybody else to ever torture him._

 _That was her job._

 _It was like how she was allowed to tease Farkle and call him weird. It was because she appreciated that weirdness. When somebody else did it and was pointing out his flaws to make him think he wasn_ _'t absolutely perfect the way he was, there was a problem. Because he was perfect. All of Maya's friends were perfect._

 _She could tease Riley about being a ray of sunshine, but when it was used against the brunette? It was time for war. Because it wasn_ _'t a bad thing, to always be happy and cheerful. It was just a Riley thing._

 _Just like how Lucas would always be Maya_ _'s Huckleberry._

* * *

" _Who fired the first shot?"_

 _Eric Matthews had been trying to fix the fight between Riley and Maya, but nobody except for Lucas and Eric seemed to see what the real problem was. And Lucas was starting to feel guilty, because he had started it._

 _But, was he wrong? He had just been giving Maya what she wanted, after all. She had finally broken him. He wasn_ _'t sure what she had assumed would happen when she finally got to him, but it only made sense that he would fire a shot or two back when he reached the point where he couldn't take it anymore._

 _Unless she knew the real reason that it had gotten to be too much for him, of course._

 _He would have been fine with the situation, if it hadn_ _'t been for Maya's nonstop babble about how she missed Riley's Uncle Josh and couldn't wait for him to show up because she had a new tactic to win him over. It was killing Lucas, because he was so much better for Maya than Josh would ever be._

 _And besides, he had done what she had asked. He had put in all of his effort to make things work with Riley, and it hadn_ _'t worked. So, why couldn't he just be with Maya and have everything fall into place?_

 _"_ _I called Maya a short stack of pancakes," Lucas raised his hand._

 _"_ _Okay, now was that really the first shot or did Maya call you anything to make you say that?" Eric asked him._

 _"_ _She called me Huckleberry," He smiled as he repeated the nickname._

 _"_ _There's also a possibility that I may have called him Ranger Rick once," Maya volunteered cheerfully._

 _"_ _Once?" He smirked at her._

 _"_ _Oh yeah! Ranger Roy was once. Ranger Rick is everyday!" Maya told Eric with a bright smile on her face._

 _She was so adorable that Lucas couldn_ _'t even be mad at her._

 _"_ _Oh, don't forget about Bucky McBoing-Boing," Lucas rolled his eyes._

 _"_ _Oh," Maya sighed. "That was a fun day," She smiled to herself._

 _"_ _Oh, and she comes up to my face and goes HA-"_

 _Maya leaned into his face and cut him off._

 _"_ _HURR!" she grinned._

 _She was so adorable that he had to fight back laughter as he continued to defend himself to Eric._

 _"_ _Like it's the way I talk," Lucas finished._

 _"_ _Oh. Okay, now why do you do that?"_

 _"_ _Because he lets me," Maya shrugged._

 _"_ _Oh, well, why do you let her?"_

 _"_ _Yeah…I'd like to know that myself," Riley asked thoughtfully._

 _Lucas paused, not sure how he could answer._

 _He let Maya tease him because she was Maya. There was no other explanation than that. It made her happy to tease him. It was their thing. It was adorable and it made him smile. Besides, it was how he believed Maya flirted with him._

 _But, he couldn_ _'t explain that to Riley because it would break her heart._

 _Besides, Maya had clearly moved on and gotten over him._

* * *

" _Okay, Farkle gotsa go," Maya declared, finally fed up with the fact that Farkle was going out of his mind by being locked into the room for detention._

 _"_ _I gotsa?" Farkle whined._

 _"_ _Stop!" Riley stood up. "This is exactly what my father wants. He wants us to panic and fall apart. We have to show him that we can get through this without turning into a pack of wild animals," She declared._

 _Maya turned around in her seat, looking directly into Lucas_ _'s eyes. The two shared a pointed look. Maya raised an eyebrow and Lucas raised the corner of his mouth._

 _"_ _I'm hungry," Lucas turned to look at Farkle._

 _"_ _What do you mean by that?" Farkle's eyes widened._

 _"_ _Nothing…I'm just really hungry," He stood up and walked to stand behind Farkle._

 _"_ _Because we're best friends?" Farkle asked cheerfully._

 _"_ _Yeah, you know what else? I don't think I've ever been this hungry."_

 _"_ _I feel ya, Ranger Rick!" Maya agreed, rising to her feet. "I'm kinda hungry, too."_

 _"_ _And it's not like a regular kind of hungry, right?"_

 _"_ _No, no! This one's deep. It must be attended to!"_

 _"_ _OH, guys," Riley sighed, walking over towards her friends and stepping between them. "Can we just show a little discipline? I mean, how much more time in here could we possibly have?"_

 _They all glanced towards the clock which showed that only one minute had gone by._

 _Riley looked at Farkle._

 _"_ _You know, I could eat, too," She shrugged._

 _Farkle stood up and backed away from them all._

 _"_ _What? What are you looking at? Guys! What are you seeing right now?"_

 _"_ _Stop talking, chicken," Lucas snapped._

 _"_ _All right, come on!" Riley couldn't play that game. No matter how much she tried. "Let's prove my father wrong," She marched to the front of the class and climbed up onto her father's desk. "Let's form out own perfect society! Rileytown is a land of goodness and rainbows where everyone folds their hands nicely, like so," She stated, folding her hands in front of her. "Who wants to live in Rileytown?" She beamed._

 _"_ _Nobody wants to live in Riley-town," Maya rolled her eyes. "It's too lollipop."_

 _"_ _You're too lollipop!"_

 _"_ _Sister, I'm a lot of things but I aint no lollipop."_

 _"_ _Riley-town has order, structure and our hands folded like so!" She folded her hands again. "What do you got?" She smirked._

 _Maya climbed up onto her own desk._

 _"_ _I got Mayaville! No Riles, no laws, no hand folding and nobody says no!" She beamed. When she saw Farkle look up at him she rolled her eyes. "No."_

 _"_ _You got chaos is what you got! I got order! You got chaos."_

 _"_ _You got lollopop, I got whoo!"_

 _"_ _Okay, detention may be bringing out the worst in us, but as least we're making the time pass!" Riley cheered._

 _They glanced at the clock but only another minute had gone by._

 _"_ _EAT RILEY!" Maya declared._

 _Lucas laughed as he watched the blonde try to take control. It was adorable whenever she tried to stage a rebellion._

 _She was an excellent leader, though. Everybody always swarmed to follow her example. She may not always have the best plans for what to do once she got a group of people following her, but she knew how to assemble a crowd and make them listen._

* * *

 _"_ _Why are you guys over there? Why can't we just be one happy society that runs the way I think it should?" Riley whined._

 _That was why Lucas couldn_ _'t be with her. She wanted everything to be her way all of the time. She wanted people to do what she told them to do, because she thought she was right about everything._

 _"_ _Because you want us to all be you," Maya crossed her arms over her chest._

 _"_ _We're not all you, Riley. I mean, you know the only reason I've never been able to choose between you? Because if it was you all the time, life would be like lalalalalala," Farkle put his hands to his ears and went cross eyed, as though being driven insane._

 _Riley joined in on his singing, even when he stopped his melody._

 _"_ _And if it was you all the time life would be like," Farkle looked at Maya and growled. He started to speak Latin and screamed when Maya growled back at him. "I need to be both of you guys," he defended himself, throwing his hands in the air in front of him as a sign of his surrender._

 _"_ _But who are you going to be with right now, Farkle?" Riley asked sweetly._

 _She only wanted Maya to pick when she was worried that he was going to pick Maya, and Lucas hated that too. Farkle deserved better than to be taken advantage of like that._

 _"_ _Before you answer that," Maya said as she walked towards the back door. "You may want to consider a little thing I call this," She opened the door with a smirk._

 _"_ _He forgot to lock the back door?" Lucas asked in confusion._

 _"_ _Maya, we're in detention! You can't leave," Riley shrieked._

 _"_ _Hey, school's out. He said we get the place to ourselves. He said we make our own rules. Rule number one? See you around, suckers!" She hurried from the classroom and a majority of the class followed after her._

 _"_ _Farkle?" Riley sighed._

 _"_ _Hey. What part of "descensus in cuniculi cavum" do you not understand?" He asked._

 _"_ _All of it."_

 _"_ _It means we drop down into the rabbit hole, man," Farkle took off after Maya._

 _"_ _Lucas?"_

 _"_ _I never do anything, Riley," He ran after Maya, screaming._

 _Truth be told?_

 _He_ _'d follow Maya anywhere._

* * *

" _Maya?" Lucas asked._

 _The blonde whirled around, her face artistically painted with what she had called_ _"War paint" and a bandana holding back her blonde locks._

 _"_ _If there's no good kids out here noticing us, then…what's the point?"_

 _She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close to her. Closer than when she would_ _"ha-hurr" him._

 _"_ _You questioning my leadership, hop-along?"_

 _"_ _Okay, these names you're calling me are killing my street-cred."_

 _It took all of his self control not to kiss her._

 _"_ _Aw, and what would you like me to call you?" She asked, leaning in closer to him._

 _"_ _I'd like you to call me mad dog," He winked._

 _"_ _You don't seem like a mad dog to me," She shook out her curls._

 _"_ _What do I seem like to you?" He smirked._

 _"_ _You know that lamb that Mary had?"_

 _"_ _I don't like the way this is going," Lucas frowned as Maya released him._

* * *

 _Maya and Riley walked side by side into the science lab and the first thing Maya did was groan, as she did before every single class._

 _"_ _Boo, this class," She yawned, slouching into the room and already starting to fall asleep. That meant it was either math or science, but she wasn't sure which._

 _"_ _Do you even know which one it is?" Riley giggled._

 _"_ _I'm gonna need a clue," Maya admitted._

 _Farkle came whistling into the room, pushing through the girls as he strolled towards his lab table-front and center, of course._

 _"_ _Science," Maya grinned, proud of herself for having guess properly._

 _Riley shook her head, giving her best friend an amused smile as the girls moved to their lab tables. Riley took a seat with Farkle and Maya sat down besides Lucas, who flashed her a warm grin. Maya had tried to be Farkle_ _'s partner, figuring he would do all the work, but the geeky kid had refused to have a partner who slept through their class. Lucas had jumped at the opportunity and was excelling in the class, thanks to Maya's expertise when they were outside of the classroom._

 _"_ _I hate this class," Maya complained to Lucas as Farkle and their teacher cracked up over one of Farkle's stupid jokes about gravity._

 _As their teacher started to explain their midterm assignment, Maya felt her eyes start to droop and she could feel her head falling to the side._

 _"_ _Do I look tired to you?" She yawned. "Oh boy…he's like a sleep machine," She dropped her head down, smirking as Lucas immediately held out a hand to catch her. "Goodnight," She mumbled._

 _It was their usual routine. Maya slept her way through their class. Lucas did all of the aspects of the experiment. Then they_ _'d met up at Lucas's house to work on their lab report and Maya would breathe through the questions, earning them a near-perfect grade._

 _"_ _Okay," Lucas whispered in her ear. "You get that?" He asked her._

 _"_ _I have to do something," She groaned, swaying her body around lazily._

 _"_ _All you have to do is come in this afternoon and drop a marble," Lucas flashed her a broad grin, showing off his dimples._

 _"_ _I have to drop a marble?" Maya was suddenly wide awake in shock at the fact that she actually had to do something._

 _"_ _I will pick it up and hand it to you," Lucas said, tossing the marble up and down in his hand, remaining cheerful rather than getting annoyed with her laziness the way that Farkle did._

 _"_ _I have to take it from you?" Maya's jaw dropped._

 _"_ _That's it!" Lucas cheered._

 _"_ _Well," Maya crossed her arms over her chest. "How's my hand supposed to get to the beaker?" She raised her eyebrows._

 _"_ _You know what?" Lucas smiled at her. "Let's just move the beaker to the very edge of the desk so that you don't even have to lean forward," His eyes sparkled as he moved the beaker over towards her._

 _"_ _I have to put this in that?" She grabbed the marble from him and pointed towards the beaker with an annoyed look on her face._

 _"_ _That's it!" Lucas assured her._

 _"_ _It's too much," She nodded, shooting him a pointed look._

 _Lucas couldn_ _'t help but to laugh at her._

 _He took care of her and he found her adorable. She teased him and drove him insane. It was what they did. It was how their relationship worked. And Lucas wouldn't change that if he could._


	11. The Original Love Triangle

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 11: The Original Love Triangle **

_**A/N: Okay, so this chapter just sort of happened. I was trying to figure out a good way for the flashbacks to tie back into the actual story, and then it just...escalated from there. But, I sort of like where it went. Let me know what you think?**_

* * *

Riley sat there, in a pair of baggy, grey and navy Victoria's Secret campus sweatpants and a navy, ribbed tank top. She was curled up on the bay window seat, with her legs folded up underneath her as she listened to Maya replay all of those moments.

Moments between Maya and Josh.

Moments between Maya and Lucas.

Moments that Riley had been a part of, yet hadn't been paying enough attention to.

She had never known how serious Maya's feelings for either boy were. She hadn't realized how torn Maya really was about the situation.

"Maya, why didn't you ever tell me?" Riley frowned, twirling her pint of Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter World ice-cream in her hands awkwardly.

"Riles," Maya sighed, playing with the spoon in her pint of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy ice cream, "You had your own problems to deal with, what with picking between Lucas and Charlie and Farkle," Maya shrugged.

"I need to ask you something," Riley said. "And I need you to promise me that you're going to be one hundred percent honest with me," she said, eyes locked on Maya and full of hints as to how serious the situation at hand was.

"Of course," Maya swore.

"Were you ever…did you ever get jealous of the fact that I had all those guys?"

"Of course I did," Maya rolled her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be jealous? It seemed like every single guy that entered the picture was crazy about you. And despite Farkle's constant spiels about how he couldn't pick between us, we all knew that you were always his first pick," She explained.

"I'm-"

"Let me finish," Maya held a hand up. "I may have been jealous, but lately? With all of this Josh and Lucas drama? And even after the ski lodge…well, it change my mind really fast. How could I envy you when you had to deal with something so hard?" Maya asked, honesty flooding her blue eyes.

"Maya…do you ever feel forced into picking one of them?" Riley asked, her eyes watery.

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, helping herself to a spoonful of ice cream.

"I mean…are there ever times where you feel more compelled with pick Josh just because you think that you should?" Riley asked, letting her body fall to the side and resting her head against the window, enjoying the coolness of the outside air.

"Are you asking this because you felt like you had to pick Lucas?" Maya asked.

"It just feels like sometimes we're playing these roles that we got assigned to. Like we have to make everybody else happy, and not worry about what will make us happy. Lucas felt it-that's why he dated me, I mean," Riley shrugged her shoulders, holding both hands tightly around her ice cream container.

"Riley…if you had to choose-go back to how you felt in eighth grade, I mean-and give me a one hundred percent honest answer. If you had to choose…would it be Charlie, Lucas or Farkle?" Maya asked, eyes locked on her friends.

"I just don't know…"Riley sighed.

The girls sat in silence for a few seconds, enjoying the ice cream that Topanga had gone out to buy them after walking in on the girls holding onto each other as they cried. When she had heard the whole story, she had immediately run to the store to stock up on comfort food for her two daughters-the one she had given birth to, and the one she had adopted.

She had then informed Maya that Maya was grounded as well for lying about the party, which had caused Maya to laugh through her tears.

"Wait….why is _Farkle_ an option?" Riley asked, shooting into an upright position as she stared at Maya in shock and confusion. Maya just smirked.

* * *

"Why didn't you ever tell me that you felt that way about her? Why didn't you tell me that you meant _Maya_ when you were talking about asking one of them out? I would have helped you get the girl," Farkle frowned, shaking his head as he paced back and forth in his room.

"I knew," Zay spoke up, exiting the train in Farkle's bedroom, licking a towering ice cream cone stacked so high that Farkle knew his floor was going to be a sticky mess after the cone toppled over.

Zay had been running all around Farkle's room since he had gotten there. He'd been an excited mess, in a complete stat of shock that it was his first time there despite the fact that he had been friends with the boy since the eighth grade.

"Your room is _amazing._ Why don't we hang out here more often?" He asked for the fifth time, plopping down on one of Farkle's overly stuffed bean bag chairs and staring up at the planetarium ceiling.

"Come over whenever," Farkle waved him off. "Back to Freak Face," Fake said, bringing out his old nickname for Lucas. "Why didn't you mention this before? How come I never knew?"

"I knew," Zay spoke up again.

"Exactly," Lucas shrugged, arms crossed over his chest as he slumped in his seat.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Zay was all the way in Texas, but he knew as soon as he got here that I was into Maya. It was obvious that I was into Maya. The entire eighth grade class knew that I was into Maya. You and Riley were the only two that didn't know," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Maya knew?" Farkle gasped, choosing to ignore Lucas's insults.

"Of course Maya knew! I was her first kiss!" Lucas snapped.

"What?" Farkle gasped.

"I knew that," Zay raised his hand, enjoying his ice cream.

"I kissed Maya during the muffin-business projects. And then again when you were getting picked on by Billy. She showed up and I told her about what happened in Texas and I kissed her," Lucas explained, lowering his head.

"Riley's spent years thinking that she was your first kiss," Farkle said darkly.

"Why does it always come back to Riley?" Lucas snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have _always_ put Riley and her feelings before Maya. She was your first pick and everybody knew it. Maya stepped back because you went right along with how Riley and I were meant to be. But, as soon as Riley realized the truth about Maya and me and decided that it was her turn to step back, you had to run off and tell everyone that Riley still loved me!" Lucas was getting angry now.

"Do you seriously think that I always put Riley first?"

"Oh, come _on,_ Farkle! You're in love with Riley! I don't know why you keep us this charade with Isadora, because everybody knows your in love with _Riley!"_ Lucas had to keep his fists clenched to keep from hitting something.

"I knew that," Zay grinned.

"I'm in love with Smackle. I'm not in love with Riley!"

"You didn't even notice Smackle or that she was into you until she started to act more like Riley! And she only started that because even _she_ knew that you were in love with Riley!" Lucas jumped to his feet, fighting hard to contain his anger.

"Why are you so worked up about this? What does any of this have to do with the fact that you never told me the truth?" Farkle asked, hurt written all over his face.

"I shouldn't have had to tell you!"

"You acted like you liked Riley!"

"Because everybody made it clear that I had to! From my second week here, it was you and Maya pushing me and Riley together!"

"I knew that!" Zay grinned.

"Ever stop to think that maybe you weren't the only one that liked Maya? Maybe I really did like the both of them equally but since you acted into Riley-for whatever reason-maybe that made me think I needed to lean on Maya more? Because she was the one I'd be left with? And you know what else? If I picked Maya, than that meant that I was safe, because Maya was afraid of being left, just like me!" Farkle yelled, finally losing his cool.

"I knew that," Zay said, swirling his ice cream cone around, melted drops falling onto the floor, but Farkle was too worked up to care about the mess.

"Then why are you defending Riley? Why have you _always_ defended Riley?"

"Because she's the only person that ever made me feel like I was worth anything, Lucas! She built me up, no matter what. She cared about protecting me. Even when I thought you were crazy about Riley, the only person you cared about protecting was Maya! And she cared about protecting you and Riley and there wasn't enough energy left in her to protect you! So Riley stepped in and she protected me and as time went on Maya focused on protecting you and Riley needed somebody, so I took that role!" Farkle snapped, so angry that he stormed out of his own bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"I didn't know that," Zay held his hands up in defense.

* * *

"So, wait…you're telling me that Moesha and you are dating? She's gonna be a part of the family?"

"Eric, I called you because you're the only impartial person I thought I could talk to about this, and you're focusing on the fact that you want Maya to be a part of the family?" Josh groaned, ready to throw his phone across his dorm room.

He'd been on the phone for over an hour, telling his oldest brother all about his relationship with Maya so that he was completely caught up. He had told him all about the part that Lucas played in the matter, as well. Now, he was hoping that Cory had been right in all claims about Eric being a secret genius, so that Josh could get some advice that wasn't "stay away from Maya".

"She's in love with the Scarecrow," Eric said.

And that was enough for Josh to actually hang up.

He _would_ have hung up, if he hadn't been desperate. But, he needed some answers. As sad as it was, Eric was his only option.

"Who?"

"That Lucas kid? The really good looking one who Cory hates? Yeah, well, she's in love with him and she has been for a while. That's why she got mad at Riley, even though Lucas was the one that made fun of her," Eric explained.

"That was in middle school!"

"And Malala used to jump on your back and freak out every time you walked through the door when she was in middle school," Eric pointed out.

"Just tell me what I'm supposed to do?" Josh pleaded.

"Why is she so important to you?"

"Because she's _Maya,"_ Josh smiled just saying her name. "She's stronger than any other girl I've ever met. She's been through so much, but she still finds a way to believe that everybody around her has some good in them. And, somehow, even though she'll never admit it, she's so full of hope. She's an artist and she looks at the world in this way that nobody else can, and by being with her, I get glimpses at how beautiful everything is through her eyes," Josh explained, rising himself into an upright, sitting position on his bed.

"She's beautiful, yeah, but you almost don't notice that after a while. It's like you forget that she's the most beautiful thing in the world, because she's brilliant and compassionate and passionate and sincere and honest and….she's like this fierce amazon warrior, like Topanga calls her," Josh finished, swinging his legs over the side of his bed.

"It sort of sounds like you're describing Topanga," Eric pointed out.

"Do you wanna know a secret?" Josh asked, running a hand through his dark waves.

"Of course, little brother!" Eric said cheerfully.

"Cory gave me this talk, before he left with Topanga, back when I was little? And, well, he told me some things…"

* * *

" _Hey, little bro-come here," Cory beckoned for his little brother to come towards him._

 _Joshua Matthews, just barely four years old, hurried towards his older brother who had always been his hero with a large smile on his face, not really realizing what was going on around him._

 _"_ _Come here, I want to tell you something," Cory said, squatting down to be at eye level with the young boy._

 _He smiled up at his little brother, waiting expectantly. He was sure he was going to get a present, just like he did whenever his eldest brother showed up to visit. Eric always gave him some candy and told him to hide it from their parents._

 _"_ _You know what's out there?" Cory gestured with his head, but Josh wasn't sure what he was looking pointing at. "The world. You're gonna be a part of it someday," he promised._

 _"_ _Yeah!" Josh giggled excitedly, even though he really wasn't sure what his brother was babbling on about._

 _"_ _You're gonna make some mistakes. You're gonna make good friends and Mr. Feeny will probably teach you, every grade you're ever in," Cory said and Josh's eyes grew wide, as he was terrified of their next door neighbor._

 _"_ _And maybe you'll meet a woman as wonderful as Topanga. How'd you like that?"_

 _Josh nodded excitedly, as that was the first thing he really understood out of what his brother had to say. He wanted to be just like Cory, and that meant he needed to try to figure out what he was saying, so that he could do exactly as he was told._

 _"_ _Good," Cory chuckled. "And maybe you'll make a friend like Shawn."_

 _"_ _Yeah!"_

 _"_ _But, when you're not this little boy anymore…when the world taught you how to be tis man-you know, you're still gonna make mistakes, but you're family and your friends that you make along the way are gonna help you, okay? Even though it seems like the world's going out of its way to teach you these hard lessons? You're going to realize that, you know, it's the same world that's given you your family and your friends," Cory went on._

 _Josh sat there, staring at his brother wide sparkling eyes and wide smile._

 _"_ _You know? And you're gonna come to believe that the world's gonna protect you,too. Boy meets world…"He paused, staring off into the distance. "Now I get it," He nodded._

 _"_ _YEAH!" Josh cheered, hoping his brother was done because he didn't understand anything he had said after his words about Shawn._

 _"_ _Give me five?" Cory held up one hand. "Give me a hug?" He wrapped his younger brother in a tight hug and the small boy returned the gesture._

* * *

"You wanna be with a girl like Topanga, because you want to be like Cory?" Eric asked.

"I guess," Josh admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, let me tell you something…"Eric trailed off.

There was a knock at Josh's door just then. Figuring it was his roommate forgetting his key again, he told Eric that he'd be right back and lowered the phone, walking towards his door. He swung it open and was shocked when he saw his oldest brother standing there.

"Life's tough," He said, reaching out and bopping the college student on the forehead. "Get a helmet."

* * *

"Maya, _stop,"_ Riley insisted.

"Stop what?"

"Stop making me think!" Riley whined.

"I'm just saying that you need to realize that just because you and Lucas didn't work, it doesn't mean you're going to die old and alone as some cat lady," Maya rolled her eyes.

"You don't need to push me into another relationship just because you're feeling guilty about Lucas. You don't have to feel guilty. He made the decision to end things with me without you knowing about your feelings and I'm telling you to _be with Lucas,"_ Riley grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook her on the last three words. "You know, if that's what will make you happy," Riley chuckled, folding her hands in her lap after her outburst.

"I'm not saying it because I feel guilty," Maya rolled her eyes. "If I felt guilty I wouldn't be in this mess because I would be clinging to my relationship Josh," Maya pointed out.

"Then why are you saying that Farkle's in love with me? He's _not,"_ Riley protested.

"Oh, come _on,"_ Maya threw her head backgrounds as she groaned.

"What?"

"Okay, you don't wanna talk about Farkle's feelings for you? That's fine," Maya threw her hands up as a sign of surrender. "We don't have to talk about that," She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thank you!" Riley said brightly.

The girls sat side by side in silence for about thirty seconds before Riley's smile turned into a frown and she realized what Maya's tactic was.

"If I don't agree to talk about Farkle and our feelings, it means that we aren't going to talk at all?" Riley guessed.

"Bingo," Maya smirked.

* * *

"He just stormed out?" Farkle asked, sitting on the foot of his bed with his elbows on his knees, forehead resting in his palms.

"Yup," Zay nodded, still licking at his ice cream cone.

"You just let him leave?"

"Of course."

"You realize what Lucas is like when he's mad, right?"

"He was mad at _you,"_ Zay pointed out.

"Okay, so?"

"Did he come and try to beat the crap out of you?"

"Obviously not," Farkle gestured to his uninjured face.

"Then what's the problem?"

"He's pissed at _Josh,_ too!"

"Oh, yeah…I almost forgot about that…."

"You almost forgot about the core argument in this entire mess that we're all in?"

"I thought that was Maya?"

"Zay! Focus! We need to find-"

He was cut off by the arrival of his train. Lucas came stepping off, holding two cups of ice cream in his hands.

"So, it's your ice cream so it's not really that great of a gesture, but I wanted to apologize for freaking out on you earlier," Lucas explained, holding out the large, chocolate peanut butter-chocolate swirl, soft serve at him with a friendly grin.

"You're a dork, have I ever mentioned that?" Farkle laughed, accepting the cup from his friend.

* * *

"Are you planning on eating any of that ice cream or are you just going to play with the container all night?" Maya raised her eyebrows at her brunette best friend as she tossed her empty container into Riley's garbage.

"Oh…I'm just full, I guess," Riley shook her head, staring down at the still three-quarters full container.

"How? You only ate your toast out of what Topanga brought you this morning and you said the thought of food disgusted you when she offered us dinner," Maya asked, eyeing her friend suspiciously.

"Maya, I'm _fine._ I never want to eat when I'm hung over," Riley insisted.

"I'm just making sure, Riles," Maya said, hugging herself. "Are you forgetting that I know all about eating disorders?" she sighed, lowering her gaze.

"I thought we never talked about that?" Riley asked, looking at her friend from the corner of her eyes as she twirled the spoon around in her ice cream container.

"We don't. We're _not,"_ Maya said fiercely.

"You never even told me _why_ you did that…"Riley said, forcing herself to eat a few spoonfuls of ice cream to keep Maya happy.

"It's not important…I got over it before it got too serious and I'm never going to make that mistake again," Maya insisted. "I just…I know the warning signs, and I don't want to see go through that. You don't need to worry about that. You're gorgeous," Maya flashed her best friend a bright, cheerful smile.

She didn't want to talk about the unspoken incident of their freshman year. She hated when the topic was brought up. She did her best to avoid the subject completely. All of her friends had been sworn to never talk about it again, because she hated the effect that the topic had on everybody.

Maya hated it when people looked at her like she needed to be protected. She hated to be pitied. And every time one of them brought up Maya's eating disorder, she received a reassuring and protective hug from Riley. Farkle looked at her with a sad, heartbroken face. Zay gave her an endless stream of compliments. Josh stood by her side and glared at whoever brought it up.

Lucas was the only one who didn't pity her. Lucas had actually gotten angry with her when he had found out. It had killed her to see his reaction, and his rage was a large part of the reason that she forced herself through recovery before it ever became anything severe.

Now, whenever people tried to discuss it, Lucas just got up and walked away.

He wouldn't give her compliments. He didn't try to reassure her. He didn't tell her that everything would be okay. He refused to coddle her. Instead, he refused to speak to her and he walked away, not even able to look at her.

The only reason Maya had brought it up was because Riley hadn't eaten anything that Maya had seen that day. At least, nothing that could suffice as a nutrient.

Maya knew what it was like to look in the mirror and hate her reflection. She knew what it was like to stare at her best friend and wise that she had the same body type as her. That she was able to eat whatever she wanted and never gain a pound the way that Riley did. It was an awful feeling. It made you bitter and angry and depressed.

And then you just felt weak, because the depression made you want to eat. You craved food as a source of comfort, but giving into temptation meant admitting defeat. And the main aspect of an eating disorder was the sense of control that you had over yourself.

Riley was a perfectionist. She was OCD about just about everything. And she needed to be in control of all aspects in her life. Having Lucas break up with her and voice his feelings for Maya while Maya admitted to liking Lucas back, on top of Josh and Lucas getting into a fight over the blonde would be enough to send Riley into a downward spiral.

It wouldn't be so hard to believe that she used her diet as something that she could control. That way, she would feel as though the world was back to the way it was supposed to be-with everything going according to her plan.

The problem was, once Riley started down that path, it would just get harder and harder for her to stop. The hardest part was starting. But, once it began, it became impossible to stop. It was addicting, worse than any other type of drug that Maya had ever learned about in a health class. It was nothing but trouble and it ruined lives.

She didn't want that for Riley and she really hoped that Riley was telling her the truth when she insisted that it was the sickness from the hangover that was keeping her from eating that day.

It wasn't like Riley to lie to her, but it happened every now and then. Which was why Maya made a mental note to herself to keep an eye on Riley for the next couple of days and monitor what she ate.

Nobody had been watching out for Maya when she had tumbled down the rabbit hole. She wasn't going to let the same be said for Riley.

* * *

"Where are we going, Eric?" Josh whined as he followed his brother from his dorm room and down the hallway.

"You want to be just like Cory?" Eric asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Listen, I know how that sounds, because I've got two older brothers and all, but-"

"Do you want to be just like Cory? And have your own Topanga?" Eric asked, cutting Josh off before he could even make a case for himself.

"Everybody wants that," Josh muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Then Margie isn't the one for you," Eric said.

"What?" Josh asked, stopping dead in his tracks. "How could you say something like that? Didn't you listen to anything that I said earl-"

"Josh," Eric turned around and faced his little brother. "Topanga never had to pick between cory and another guy. There were times when she dated other boys and times he dated other girls. They weren't together the entire time they've known each other, but there was never a question that somebody else would take the other one away from them," Eric explained.

"So?"

"Maya's torn because she doesn't know if she should pick you or Lucas?" Eric asked.

"Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole-"

"Then you're not Cory. You're me," Eric stated, turning back around and continuing to walk out of Josh's dorm building.

"What are you talking about?" Josh asked, chasing after his oldest brother. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Get in the car," He said, nodding towards the bright yellow Ferrari.

Of course Eric the Senator would have such a ridiculous car. Most senators would drive a hybrid, like a Prius, or they'd have some big black Cadillac or a red sports car if they really wanted to be ostentatious. But not Eric. He got an annoyingly yellow Ferrari with suicide doors and white leather interior.

It was the coolest car that Josh had ever seen in his life, but he hated it at the same time because it was just so ridiculous. Which about summed up Josh's feelings towards Eric.

Josh crawled into the car, all the same, immediately facing forward and crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

"Where are you taking me?" He grumbled.

"I'm taking you to go see Jack," Eric said, starting up the car and slamming off the radio as some old eighties rock song filled the car.

"Who?" Josh frowned. "Jack as in Jack Hunter? Maya's uncle?"

He hadn't met Jack on many occasions. Just when he had stopped in to visit Maya and her family during the holidays, when Shawn, Katy and the blonde didn't just celebrate with the Matthews family. Sometimes, Jack was brought with the family of three to the Matthews's household to celebrate but that was rare.

All he knew about Jack was that Jack was every bit as protective of Maya as Shawn was. He treated her like she was his biological daughter, not his step-niece, due to his half-brother. He spoiled her and doted on her.

Occasionally, he heard his brothers and Shawn make comments about how Maya brought out the better side of Jack-the side that they hadn't seen since he had left the Peace Corps all those years ago. They had compared the effect that she had on Jack to the effect that some girl named Rachel had had on him years ago.

"Of course," Eric shrugged as he drove.

"Why are we going to see him for advice about my dating his niece?"

"Because Jack is going to put aside how protective of his niche he is when he hears what you have to tell him," Eric explained.

"What makes you so sure about that?" Josh asked.

"The fact that Jack and I were once you and Lucas," Eric answered.

* * *

"Do you remember at the semi-formal when I talked to your Uncle Jack about the love triangle he used to be in with Uncle Eric?" Riley asked, stopping Maya as she started to leave the room to change into pajamas.

"What about it?" Maya asked, freezing in her tracks.

"I mean," Riley sighed. "That I don't think that I was the Rachel in that situation. I don't like that Lucas was Eric or that Charlie was Jack. I think that you're the Rachel and we have to figure out which one is which for you," Riley explained.

Maya turned around and started to walk towards Riley's closet. Since the girl was dressed in a pair of dark was shorts with a plain white tee shirt, she needed to borrow a sweatshirt for her plan.

Riley, however, needed to completely change.

Maya threw the brunette a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt.

"Get changed," She ordered.

"Why? We're grounded. We can't go anywhere," Riley reminded her.

"Forget being grounded. This is more important," Maya insisted.

"Why?" Riley frowned.

"Because we're going on a mission," Maya smirked.

"I like missions! Where are we going?" Riley bounced excitedly.

"We're going to go find Rachel," Maya smirked.

* * *

"You guys up for a little road trip?" Lucas asked.

"My parents think I'm staying at your house tonight and they trust you, so I'm good with whatever," Zay shrugged.

"My parents are out of town for the weekend," Farkle shrugged.

"And I told my momma that I'm sleeping at Farkle's, so let's go," Lucas said, grabbing his keys and starting towards the door.

"Where are we going?" Farkle asked.

"To go see Jack Hunter," Lucas answered.

"Maya's uncle?" Farkle asked.

"Who?" Zay wondered.

"Why are you dragging us out at ten o'clock at night to go see Maya's step-uncle? What's that gonna do for anybody?" Farkle asked.

Of course, both boys were following their best friend. They would follow Lucas anywhere, because they knew that he would do the same for them. It was the way that their friendship worked. They supported one another, even when the one that needed the support was acting insane.

"Jack and Eric were in the same situation before. I need to talk to one of them about it, and Eric is Josh's brother. He's gonna be biased," Lucas explained as they walked. "And besides, Eric kind of freaks me out," Lucas admitted.


	12. Hopeful Thinking

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 12: Hopeful Thinking**

 _ **A/N: I really enjoyed writing Farkle, Zay and Eric for this chapter. I hope that you guys find them as hilarious as I found them as I wrote them.**_

* * *

"Maya, are you crazy?" Riley asked, her eyes wide and incredulous, clearly full of disbelief, but she was pulling on the light denim shorts all the same. "We don't even know where Rachel lives. And neither one of us can drive. How do you think we're going to find her, yet alone get there?" She asked, pulling on the green, Victoria's Secret, distressed hem sweatshirt.

She knew she was going to have to follow Maya. She knew that there was no stopping her best friend when she gave herself a mission, so her choices were limited. She could follow the blonde and make sure that she remained safe and protected, or she could let her go on her own and ignore whatever problems arose as a result. No matter what she chose, if Maya crawled out of the bay window-with or without Riley-the brunette was going to be punished for the decisions of her friend.

"It's really easy, actually," Maya shrugged, walking towards Riley's bedroom door, a pair of flip-flops flapping with every step.

"Are you _crazy?_ The one time that we'd get into the most trouble if we got caught is when you're going to use my front door?" Riley shrieked, jumping off the bed while she attempted to slide into her slip-on Vans.

"Will you calm down?" Maya rolled her eyes, opening the door and heading out into the apartment.

Riley ran after her friend, convinced that the blonde had finally gone crazy. She was prepared to do whatever it took to stop Maya from leaving the door, even if it meant tackling her to the ground to keep her from getting them caught.

But, it didn't matter if she stopped them or not. It was clear that the girls were planning on bracing the outside world. If it hadn't been clear from their wardrobe, it was clear by the fact that Maya was pulling her hair up into a sloppy, messy bun on the top of her head.

And Riley's parents were sitting on the couch, watching a movie while they cuddled close to one another. It was sort of disturbing to see her parents acting so in love, but it was also bitter sweet and Riley feel the resentfulness filling every fiber of her being.

After all, less than a week ago she had been convinced that she was going to have that with Lucas.

It was strange how quickly things could change so drastically. With the way things were looking at the current moment in time, it didn't look like any of them were going to be getting their happily ever after, let alone their Cory-and-Topanga relationship.

"Topanga?" Maya asked sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, an innocent smile on her face with sparkling eyes.

Cory groaned as Topanga turned around, clicking pause on the movie they had been in the middle of enjoying.

"Yes, my fierce amazon warrior?" Topanga smiled.

"So, I know that you grounded us and everything but I was just wondering if maybe it would be okay if we went out with your supervision?" Maya asked sweetly.

"Where do you need to go?" she frowned, raising her eyebrows at the girls.

"Can I come?" Cory asked, growing excited by the prospect of being included in one of his daughter's adventures with her blonde haired best friend.

Ever since Shawn had married Katy, the friendship between he and Cory had become somewhat mundane. They got together to discuss parenting styles and their daughters. There were no more schemes or plans. Nothing elaborate and exciting happened to them.

Instead, Maya and Riley got all of the surprises in life. They got into all of the trouble. They made the mistakes and had to work their way through then.

That was fine with Shawn. He had finally been able to settle down and start a family. It was all he had ever wanted. He was content with being Maya Hart's father and the doting husband of Katy Hart.

Cory, meanwhile, was bored out of his mind. He needed some more excitement. Back when he had been the girls's teacher, he had been able to live vicariously through them. Now, while a teacher in the high school, the girls worked their hardest to avoid taking his classes, tired of having the entire school know about their lives. As a result, his life had been pretty boring ever since the girls had started their sophomore year.

"Bay window," Maya smirked. "Bay window right now," she grinned.

Topanga was off the couch in a second, racing into the room and grabbing the brunette on her way in.

"Not you," Maya held a hand up, warning Cory off as he jumped to his feet as well, hurrying towards Riley's bedroom with a bright smile on his face.

"Awe man," He groaned, slouching his shoulders as he shuffled back to the couch with a defeated look taking over his entire face.

Maya giggled as she turned around and walked back into Riley's room, slamming the door behind her to ensure that Cory wasn't listening in on their conversation or able to put in his two sense without giving them some sort of warning or seeming pathetic for listening through the bedroom door.

"What's going on?" Topanga asked, sitting up straight with her hands folded in her lap, a bright smile on her face.

She was always excited when the girls went to her for help, rather than the two of them deciding that they could handle things on their own. Which was why it worked so well that Maya knew for a fact that Rachel and Topanga were still in contact. All she had to do was ask Topanga to bring them there and she would do it without a second thought.

"We want to go see Rachel," Maya stated as soon as she had her usual seat at the bay window.

"Rachel? Like my old friend from college Rachel? Why?"

"She had to pick between Jack and Eric."

"You think she can give you advice about Josh and Lucas?"

"I need to hear from somebody who's had to pick."

"Mom…this is really important to her. She's even trying to do it in the right way instead of just blindly heading out. I really think you should bring her," Riley spoke up.

"I'm going to go change," Topanga stood up.

She was dressed casually, in a pair of leggings with an old sweatshirt of Cory's and fuzzy socks. Her hair was frizzy and loose around her face, which was scrubbed clean of any and all make-up.

"And while I change I'm going to call Rachel and let her known we'll be there in a few hours. You two are going to pack a bag for a few days and make sure you have your school things with you, because you'll most likely be missing Monday. This may take a while," Topanga instructed the girls.

* * *

Josh followed Eric from the car at almost a run to keep up with his older brother's slightly longer and excited strides. With Cory, Josh was just as tall as his older brother and was always able to keep the pace. Eric, however, always walked at almost a power-walk speed and he was actually just the smallest bit taller than Josh himself.

"Does Jack even know that we're coming? It's really late and I don't think we should just barge in uninvited and-"

"Josh, he's my best friend. He _loves_ when I just pop in to surprise him!" Eric beamed as he hit the intercom buzzer outside of Jack's elaborate apartment building.

It was even nicer than the building that Maya lived in and it was located in the heart of the city, full of hustle and bustle all around. For Josh, it hadn't taken any time to get there since his school was located close by. Which was good, because when Eric drove his Ferrari he was like a mad man and Josh's stomach could only take so much.

"Jack? It's Eric! Can we come up?"

It took a few seconds before the intercom made a noise that there was going to be a response, which made Josh wonder if Eric was right about Jack's joy at having him around whenever he felt like it.

"Eric? It's almost eleven o'clock at night. I'm swarmed in paperwork. What do you-"

"Great! I'll be right up!"

There was a groan, which reassured Josh that he had been right. Jack couldn't be bothered with Eric's whims. But, then he heard the click that gave them permission to enter the building and he wondered if Jack was Eric's Shawn.

He had never had a friend like Shawn or Maya. There had never been a friendship in his life that he couldn't imagine losing. Maya was the closest that he had ever come to having something like that. He could talk to her about anything. He worshipped the ground that she stood on and he wanted to know everything about her.

Somewhere along the lines, their friendship had developed into romantic interest and it had escalated from there.

But, there had never been a guy in his life who was as important to him as Shawn was to Cory. And apparently Jack was exactly the same for Eric. He seemed to be the only Matthews boy who didn't have a best friend who became like a part of the family.

* * *

"How do you even know where he lives?" Farkle asked, poking his head forward in between the passenger's seat and the driver's seat.

"I took Maya there one time because she needed to pick up the adoption paperwork from when Shawn adopted her," Lucas explained, eyes focused on the road in front of him.

"But Jack has an engineering degree…"Farkle trailed off, clearly waiting for Lucas to explain the rest of the story.

"Yeah? Well he had a minor in politics or something because he went to law school. Why would an engineer be working for some big corporate company? He's a corporate lawyer, so he was reading the paperwork over before his brother signed anything. He does it for all of their legal documents," Lucas went on.

"Not understanding the atmosphere in the vehicle, Zay decides to put on some music to distract from Lucas's tense nature and Farkle's inability to sit in silence," Zay spoke up, reading towards the power button on Lucas's radio.

" _Oh, I can't fight this feeling any longer. And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow. What started out as friendship has grown stronger. I only wish I had the strength to let it show."_

The old Reo Speedwagon song filled the truck and a small, amused smile took over Lucas's face. It wasn't his usual style of music. They all knew that Lucas stuck to country music, which was just another thing that Maya liked to tease him about when it came to his southern roots. She especially loved to tease him that his favorites were Jana Kramer and Cassadee Pope. (Although, he just let her think those were his favorites. He much preferred Sam Hunt or Chris Young to he female artists, despite the fact that he did enjoy their music).

Zay slammed his fist against the power button, slamming off the music.

"What the hell was that?" He asked.

"Reo Speedwagon!" Farkle chirped helpfully.

"I _know_ who the-who gave you that stupid CD?" Zay asked.

Zay was a strict lover of pop music. He liked what was currently on the radio and the Top 40 determined his playlist. Anything older than than 1990's was not approved of by him unless the artist was currently still producing music. But he _hated_ the 1970's and the 1980's more than anything else which had sparked plenty of debates with Maya, who loved classic rock, especially music produced in the eighties.

"You know damn well who's music that is," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"I'm gonna have to have a talk with our little Maya about her musical tastes," Zay crossed his arms over his chest as he slouched in his seat.

"She's gonna school you again," Lucas told him with a chuckle.

"She did not _"school"_ me the last time," Zay glared at him, putting air-quotes up as he rolled his eyes.

"Are we there yet?" Farkle whined.

Lucas was in for a long car ride. He was grateful for the fact that there was only about another five minutes of their drive because he didn't think he could deal with Farkle and Zay's whining anymore.

* * *

Josh was sitting in Jack's living room and just finished telling him all of the details, when they heard the buzz of the intercom.

"I swear to god if this is the girl that I met at the bar with you the other day who you just had to tell where I lived, I am going to murder you, bring you back to life and then murder your revived corpse," Jack threatened, shooting Eric a glare.

"She was hot!"

"She had a gold tooth!" Jack yelled as he stormed towards the intercom.

"It defines character!"

"A gold tooth?" Josh whispered, staring at his brother in shock.

"Shut up," Eric sulked, crossing his arms aggressively over his chest and tucking his chin into his neck with a severe pout.

"Uh, hi? Jack Hunter? I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Lucas Friar-Maya's friend? I drove her to see you one time when Shawn was adopting her? Anyways…I was just wondering if I could talk to you about Rachel?"

Josh tensed up, his hands curling up into tight fists with white knuckles.

Of _course_ Lucas would show up.

Of _course_ he would figure out a way to involve himself in Josh's one hope of figuring out a way to ensure that Maya picked him.

Lucas would be _fine_ without Maya. He'd have her friendship. He didn't need her as a girlfriend. He had lasted _years_ with Maya as his best friend and now he suddenly needed her to be his girlfriend?

That wasn't _fair._

He shouldn't just get to step in and decide that he wanted Maya to date him. She was already in a relationship and she was happy.

Why should he get to step in and mess with her head?

Besides, Josh actually did need Maya. He was a better person when he had Maya in his life and he wasn't sure that Maya would stick around if they weren't dating.

Maya made him more confident. She made him want to strive for excellence because she made him believe that he could achieve great things. She made him happier than he had ever been in his life.

He had wanted Cory to be proud of him. That was the excuse he had given his parents for why he needed to drive to New York to open his acceptance letter from NYU and it was partly true, but it wasn't the complete truth. Most of the reason he wanted to open it in New York was because he knew there was a good chance Maya would be there. And she was his good luck charm.

He knew just by holding the envelope that he had gotten in as soon as he had seen her in the room. Because she gave him faith that he could be anything that he wanted to be and that he could do anything he wanted to do. Anything was possible for him as long as Maya was standing by his side.

He couldn't lose that.

"Seriously?" Jack groaned, glaring at Eric. "This is _your_ fault," he accused.

"How? I only brought Josh here," Eric pointed out.

"Somehow, this is your fault. I'm going to have an apartment full of teenagers all trying to date my _niece!"_ Jack glared at him as he turned around and hit the intercom button. "Yeah, okay, come on up," He sighed.

* * *

Maya and Riley raced into Maya's apartment and straight towards her closet.

She grabbed the first duffel bag she found and swung it onto the floor. She started throwing clothes at Riley, not even paying attention to what they were.

"Pair of dark wash, ultra skinny, ultra distressed jeans," Riley called out to her. "Grey ribbed tank top with lace back, grey and navy letterman styled sweat shirt," She recited as she informed Maya of the first outfit she had managed to assemble in her madness.

"Perfect for tomorrow," Maya grinned, "but throw in a pair of dark denim, cuffed shorts just in case it's too warm," She went back to tossing clothes.

"Checker print, grey and white shorts with a black lacey sweater and a white crop top?" Riley called.

"Perfect," Maya said, moving away from the racks of clothes and yanking out a pair of pajamas that she tossed to Riley.

Then she moved over to her make up table while Riley grabbed her some shoes. Within five minutes they were done with all of Maya's packing and were racing back to Topanga's waiting car.

They shoved the bag in the trunk and Maya dove into the backseat, sprawling herself out as Riley crawled into the front seat, leaning her seat back.

"You two are going to nap the whole way there, aren't you?" Topanga asked, raising an eyebrow at the girls.

"Of course," Maya yawned, removing her sweatshirt and balling it up to use as a pillow.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Lucas?" Josh asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on Jack's uncomfortable leather couch.

"I need some advice," Lucas shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking on the balls of his feet. "I figured you'd be talking to Eric about it, since he's your brother and all," he added on.

"Yeah, well Eric thought I should talk to them both," Josh answered bitterly.

"Sit down," Jack ordered Lucas.

"Okay," he yelped, dropping down on the rounded, extremely uncomfortably looking leather chair that was closest to him.

Josh was reminded of when Riley and Maya had crashed his party at NYU back when he was just a junior, and the girls he was with had lectured him about the way he had treated Maya. He, too, had immediately jumped into a seat the moment he was told.

"Neither one of you has any control of this, I hope you understand that," Jack said, standing in front of them both with his arms crossed firmly across his chest. "Maya is going to pick whoever she picks," He informed them.

"Rachel loved the both of you," Lucas pointed out. "How'd she pick?"

"She loved me like a boyfriend," Jack stated.

"And she loved me like a brother," Eric chimed in.

"You're the brother," Josh smirked at Lucas.

"I'm the love of her life," Lucas snapped.

"Sure," Josh rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that message got to her loud and clear while you were making out with Riley for the past year," he said sarcastically.

"Because she told me to!"

"Because you're her brother!"

"The love of her life!"

"Do you even realize what you're doing to her?" Josh asked, jumping to his feet. "She's a mess and it's all your fault! You went to her and told her you loved her and now she feels like she has some choice to make even though she doesn't really love you," Josh snapped.

"Yes she does!"

"Says who? Says some incidents in middle school when she had a little crush on you? God, Lucas, come on," Josh rolled his eyes. "If she loved you, she never would have pushed for you to date Riley. She wouldn't be dating me. You put this idea into her head with a few moments you thought meant something more and now she's miserable," Josh snapped.

"Are you insinuating that I'm taking advantage of her compassion?" Lucas asked, jumping to his own feet.

"I'm insinuating that you knew how she would react to that! You didn't want her before, Lucas. Why now? Why are you doing this now that I have her? Do you not realize that I love her and I _need_ her? I'm not going to let you take her from me," Josh said.

"She's not property, Josh," Lucas said darkly, eyes narrowing. "She's not something that can be taken or possessed. I _love_ her, Josh and if she wants to be with me than I'm going to be with her. If she wants to be with you? Well, I'm not gonna just let that happen," Lucas threatened.

"That's fine," Josh shrugged. "But I'm not going to just let her pick you. Even if she does pick you and you think you're with her…I'm going to be there waiting for the second that you mess up," Josh told him.

"So we're agreed?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, we're agreed," Josh nodded.

"I'm confused," Eric whispered, leaning in towards Jack. "What did they agree on?"

"Eric, you made a mistake bringing them here," Jack said, watching the two boys and ignoring his friend's question. "They're not like you and me…not at all and they're not just gonna Maya decide the way we let Rachel decide. They're going into an all out war," Jack explained.

"Jackie? Hold me? I'm scared," Eric threw his arms around his best friend and ducked his head behind the other boy.

* * *

"How long do you think Lucas is gonna be at Jack's?" Farkle asked, staring around Times Square with an excited look on his face.

Lucas had dropped them off to let them enjoy themselves so that he could talk to Jack alone. He had told them to knock themselves out and do whatever they wanted while he was gone, but he hadn't given them any indication of how long he would be.

He'd insisted that he would send them a text when he was leaving Jack's so that they could meet back up where he had dropped them off.

There was plenty to do in Times Square, even at the late hour, but there was too much to do when they had no idea how long they had. And Farkle wanted to get to as much as possible.

"Long enough for us to hit um M&M world," Zay grinned.

"I like the way you think," Farkle grinned back and the boys were off.

* * *

Maya woke up at the sound of a car door slamming shut.

She slowly forced herself into a sitting position and saw a cute, white, colonial house with a large wrap around front porch and a small, neat front yard that housed a beautiful garden. It was the type of house that Maya could imagine Lucas having growing up in, if he had never left Texas. Beautiful, large, and nothing like one would find in New York City.

Maybe it was some sort of sign?

Josh was, after all, a city boy. Regardless of the fact that he didn't grow up in New York City, he was still from a bigger, highly populated area. He loved New York City with all his heart and when he excitedly talked to Maya about plans for the future they involved always residing in heavily populated, lively cities. Namely, New York City and Los Angeles.

Lucas, however, wanted the small town life. Even if he never went back to Texas, he couldn't see himself settling down in New York City because he didn't want to raise a family there. He constantly stated how bad he felt that his friends grew up with a concrete jungle as their surroundings, rather than wide open spaces.

Maya couldn't fault him for that.

Sometimes, she felt lost in the shuffle of the world around her. Everything was happening but she wasn't changing. Not enough to realize it as it was happening, at least. Not compared to everything that was happening around her all of the time.

And then she saw Topanga knock on the door, only to greeted by a gorgeous, tall, leggy red head with a short, messy pixie cut. That was when Maya realized that they had arrived.

She had never seen a picture of Rachel before. She had no idea what the girl looked like, but something about this confident, earthy female with a sweet smile was her. She didn't seem like the type of girl that would have two guys fighting over her, but Maya knew that she didn't seem like the type of girl guys fought over either.

So, something about it seemed right.

"Riles," She shot forward, shaking her best friend's shoulders to wake her up. "Riles! We're _here!"_ she said excitedly.

"What? Where?" Riley shot forward, slamming her head against the visor she had lowered, despite the darkness of the sky around her.

"Come _on,"_ Maya insisted, throwing open the car door and leaping out of the vehicle.

Riley was right behind, chasing after her best friend. When the two girls reached Topanga, they were out of breathe but they still had bright, hopeful smiles stretched across their faces. Their eyes still sparkled with that same ignorant innocence.

Maybe, years ago, Maya had sat in the bay window and told Riley that hope was for suckers. Maybe, in a different life, with a few other thinks happening just a little differently, she would still believe that hope was futile. At least, it was for people like her.

When Maya was younger, she was sure that people like her didn't deserve a happy ending. While she never saw life as being fair, she figured that people with bad circumstances and terrible home lives didn't deserve to have nice things happen to them. They just wouldn't know how to handle it.

The people like Riley, however, were used to getting good things so good things would happen to them all of the time. They wouldn't know how to cope with the fact that things didn't go their way.

It was why Maya had never been able to get mad at Riley when they were younger. Whenever something bad happened to Riley and the brunette was unable to comprehend the terrible occurrence, Maya couldn't hold it against her. After all, she was raised to believe that everything happened for a reason and that good things happened to good people.

Maya believed the same, in a sense. In all actuality, she believed that people who had good things happen to them became good people. They were the ones with the best educations which allowed them to get the best jobs. They were the ones who got married to the more successful people and actually found love.

A long, long time ago, Maya had believed that.

She had believed that people had no control in their own lives. They would, instead, be stuck in an endless cycle where they were unable to improve their situation from what it had been when they were born.

Now?

Well, now it was hard for Maya to ever believe that she had said hope was for suckers.

Because now?

Hope was the only thing keeping her going.


	13. Rachel's Lesson

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 13: Rachel's Lesson **

_**A/N: All about Riley and Maya here, with a heavy focus on the boys in the next chapter. I hope you guys like this and that it makes as much sense to you as it did in my head.**_

* * *

"Rachel," Topanga said, wrapping an arm around the brunette and another one around the blonde standing on either side of her. "This is my daughter, Riley," She said, giving her daughter's shoulder a tight squeeze as she pulled her closer. "And this her best friend, Maya," Topanga explained, smiling down at the blonde.

"I can see why they're fighting over her," Rachel observed, leaning against the doorframe as she studied Maya.

She turned towards Riley, glancing at the girl. She frowned, taking in her features and Riley immediately felt uncomfortable. She felt as though she was being judged.

All of this feelings of insecurity took over. She just wasn't good enough, not when she was being compared to Maya. Nothing about her was special and that was why boys didn't look at her or fight over her. Sure, Charlie and Lucas had fought over her years ago, but that had always seemed to be more about which of them would win than about which one Riley would end up with.

"She sure didn't take after Cory, Topanga," Rachel said at last, smiling at the brunette. "She's gorgeous, just like her mother," the redhead stepped aside to allow the three to enter her house.

Maya couldn't help but be distracted by the house. It looked like the home of an artist. Beautiful paintings filled the walls and all of the furniture was antique-like and gorgeous. It all seemed to mean something. Everything, Maya was sure, had a story behind it.

"So, Maya," Rachel said, sitting down in an over stuffed arm chair and flashing the blonde a warm smile. "Tell me about these boys," She leaned in, an excited twinkle to her eyes.

Maya couldn't help but laugh at the older woman's excitement to gossip about boys with two teenage girls. She seemed like she would fit right in with anyone and everyone. It amazed Maya at how comfortable Rachel immediately made the people around her, as though anybody could talk to her about anything. She longed to be able to have that affect on people.

Maya sat down on the couch with Riley, awkwardly looking around the room. Riley started scanning along with her, immediately knowing what the blonde was searching for.

"Topanga? Are they okay? Did I break them?" Rachel laughed uncomfortably.

"Wait for it," Topanga sighed, leaning against the couch.

Finally, at the same time, the girls found what they had been looking for.

A large window, with a beautiful wooden bench below it, stuffed with dark, deep colored velvet cushions and patterned pillows to draw out the colors. Stacks of bookshelves lined with the classics bordered the sides of the window, coming all the way down to meet the bench.

It wasn't a bay window. Only Riley had the bay window. Maya had the turret, though, which was where they did their talking at her house. And Rachel had the window seat, which was more than good enough for them.

Holding onto pieces of who the redhead was at heart, it seemed like the most homy place in the entire house, which was saying a lot due to the historical and sentimental values that the house radiated.

"Window seat," Riley said, jumping to her feet and hurrying towards the bench.

"Window seat right now," Maya giggled, chasing after her friend as they settled into their normal places-Riley on the left and Maya on the right.

"Are they okay?" Rachel asked Topanga again.

"Riley has a bay window in her room at home. That's where the girls have always talked about everything important to them," Topanga explained with an eye roll as she followed her daughter, sitting down in between the two girls.

Topanga was always in the middle of them when she was talking with them. If she was talking to just Riley, she was on Riley's left, rather than her right. When the boys showed up, they were both put on Maya's right, unless it was just one of them. Then, they were positioned in the center. It was rare for them to have Topanga in the room with somebody else, but Rachel seemed to almost know that her place was besides Maya.

"Alright," Rachel said, finding humor in the girls's antics. "Now, tell me about Joshua Matthews," She said, smiling cheerfully.

"He's amazing," Maya said without a second thought. "I've been in love with him every since the seventh grade. He's gorgeous and sweet and passionate. He's an artist, like me," Maya explained, smiling as she talked about her boyfriend.

"And what about how you feel about him?" Rachel asked.

"He makes me feel like I'm not just Maya, the girl from the broken home with the father who thought she wasn't good enough and the mom who couldn't make time for her. I feel like I'm something special when I'm with him, because, well…how could a guy like _that_ who comes from a family like his, look at a girl like Maya Hart, the rebel deviant from the wrong side of the tracks, like she was the reason his world spun around?" Maya's eyes started to water as she spoke, blinking back the tears threatening to come out.

"And when you're with him?"

"Time stops," Maya whispered, finally allowing the tears to fall from her eyes.

Slow, gentle tears fell from her navy blue eyes. It wasn't that she was sad. It was that she was overcome by emotions. The hurt she had felt when she was younger, the bitterness and resentfulness. The heartbreak every time Josh rejected her. The joy when he had finally accepted her. It all came back and she was reminded of how awful it had been for her before Josh had accepted her.

"Everything stops… _feelings_ stop," Maya said, knowing that she probably sounded ridiculous to the older redhead.

"What do you mean by that?" Rachel asked sincerely.

"I don't feel all of that bitterness that I was left with when my dad left. I'm not resentful that my mom had to work around the clock and tried to act all fancy when she was perfectly fine the way she was. I'm not embarrassed by my financial status. I'm not heartbroken over a guy rejected me. I'm not miserable and ashamed because of my grades," Maya explained.

"But, Maya…you stopped being bitter after Kermit showed up in eighth grade because you were going to try to forgive him. At least, some of the bitterness started to fade. And then Shawn and your mom got married and he adopted you and you were completely over it. And your mom was around a lot more after eighth grade because she got a new job and realized that her being ashamed of herself was affecting you in a negative way," Riley reminded her friend, leaning over Topanga to place a reassuring hand on the blonde's knee.

"And you didn't feel the wealth gap because you had two hard working parents taking care of you. And your grades sky rocketed as soon as Shawn came into the picture," Topanga pointed out, flashing her a proud grin.

"Who was the guy that rejected you?" Rachel asked, eyes locked on Maya.

"It was Josh…at least, for a long time, it was Josh," Maya said. "But…sometime during the eighth grade….it became Lucas," Maya admitted.

"He never rejected you," Riley frowned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"He chose _you,"_ Maya said.

It wasn't bitter. It wasn't said with an malice. It was just a fact and she said it plain and simple. Because Lucas had picked Riley.

"What are you talking about? We always pushed him towards one of us, Maya. If Lucas had his choice he would have picked-"

"He should have fought for me, then!" Maya snapped, looking up at her best friend with hurt written all over her face. "He wouldn't fight for me, though. He just blindly went along with what we told him to say and called it quits. How was I supposed to believe that he really cared about me when he couldn't even be bothered to fight for me? I felt worthless, Riles. I just felt so worthless, as if I didn't deserve a guy like him to love me," Maya lowered her head in shame, feeling awful for having yelled at her best friend.

"Maya….I never-"

"Maya," Rachel said, cutting Riley off with a sweet smile. "Did you pick Josh because he was willing to fight for you?" she asked.

"He didn't fight for Maya," Riley answered. "He listened to my dad about how a three year age difference was inappropriate and always tried to discourage her," she explained.

"No," Maya shook her head. "Riley, that was true when I was in middle school but as soon as eighth grade graduation hit? Josh started to fight and he started to _beg._ He sent me presents and cards and letters. He'd call me on the phone and we'd talk for hours every night. He hated that we were separate from one another our first year of dating. That's why he came to the city so often last year," Maya said, flashing her best friend a sad, apologetic and watery grin.

"Why didn't you ever tell me he did that?" Riley asked.

"Because I thought you were against me dating your uncle. And I especially thought you'd hate the idea of it when it was so close to the Lucas-triangle," Maya shrugged.

"I just wanted you to be happy….I wish you had told me how you really felt about Lucas. So much could have been avoided…but you shouldn't have had to tell me how you felt. I should have just known…"Riley sighed, shaking her head.

"Topanga," Rachel said, rising to her feet. "Why don't we give the girls some time to talk their own problems out? We can make some tea and a snack before we finish this conversation," She suggested.

Topanga nodded, rising to her feet and giving each girl a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder before following Rachel out of the living room and down the hallway.

"Riles," Maya shook her head. "Don't you get it? I didn't _want_ you to know how I felt about Lucas, because I wanted you to be happy. And I thought he would make you happy, You deserved to be happy just as much as I did," Maya explained.

"Peaches, neither one of us should ever have to give up our happiness for the other. Because what kind of best friend would I be if I could be happy while you weren't one hundred percent happy? And you wouldn't be the girl that I became best friends with all those years ago if you could stand by and watch me be unhappy just so you could be happy," Riley insisted.

"I just…I never wanted you to feel the way I felt," Maya lowered her head.

"Maya," Riley said sternly. "I am your best friend and I love you. I appreciate every single attempt you made to keep me from hurting when we were younger. The Riley Committee saved me from so much pain and heartbreak. But, I'm a big girl now and I don't need you to take all of the hurt from me. I can carry my own weight in this friendship. I want to be able to take some of your hurt away, too," Riley said, her eyes full of fire.

"You were always my sunshine," Maya shook her head. "I couldn't burden you with all of my darkness," she protested.

"I gave you so much sunlight, Maya," Riley said. "You just wouldn't take it. Instead, you fought for my darkness and any light that you had inside of you, you gave to me. That's not a friendship, Peaches," Riley told her, shooting her a pointed look.

"Nobody ever protected me," Maya said, crossing her arms over her chest to protect herself. "I didn't have somebody there to shield me from the hardships that the world could throw my way," She told Riley.

"That's why you had me, silly!" Riley giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "Now, can we agree that we both messed up at this whole friendship thing every now and then when we were younger?" She asked, swinging an arm around her friend's shoulders.

"I was _awesome,"_ Maya gasped.

"Maya," Riley rolled her eyes. "Listen, we both made mistakes. Own it. I just want us to promise that we're gonna be equal partners in this friendship from here on out. I'll do everything I can to make sure you're happy and you'll do anything to keep me happy. No more Riley Committee. No more stealing away my darkness and taking it for yourself," Riley mock-glared at Maya and stuck her tongue out at her playfully.

"Okay, okay," Maya agreed, hugging her friend back. "Now, let me tell Rachel this story without anymore interruptions, okay?" She asked.

"I'll try," Riley rolled her eyes.

"That's all I ask," Maya smirked, unable to hold back her laughter at her best friend.

* * *

Rachel came walking back into the room with a large, silver tray carrying a large, old-fashioned, pale pink tea kettle with white roses decorating the ceramic. Matching tea cups with saucers surrounded the kettle and a large stack of cookies sat in front of the kettle.

Topanga pulled over a footstool, allowing Rachel to set the tray down there for the girls who immediately leaned forward to help themselves to some of the steaming tea and delicious, soft and gooey looking cookies. The older two woman sat down around the younger girls, seeing flashes of their former selves in the blonde and the brunette.

"Alright, tell me about this Lucas character," Rachel prompted, picking up her own cup of tea, saucer and all.

She was sitting with her back straight, holding onto the cup with her pinky raised and her saucer directly underneath it. She looked the perfect image of etiquette, and her words matched the image perfectly. For a second, Maya was unable to answer because this didn't seem like the Rachel who had been in the room earlier.

"I'm just messing with you," Rachel snickered, immediately slouching over and dropping her saucer onto the tray again. "Whenever I get this tray out I feel like a little kid playing with my tea set," She explained with that sparkling grin once again.

Everything she did was so random and goofy.

She was like the female version of Eric Matthews. It made Maya even more certain that Riley and Lucas were like brother and sister. After all, if Eric and Rachel, who seemed to be a perfect match because of their identical personalities, couldn't work out in a romantic sense because they had a sibling like bond, it was clear that Riley and Lucas, who were so similar in their own right, would have the same type of connection.

But, that scared Maya.

Because that meant that Charlie and Riley were destined to be the Jack and Rachel. And Charlie hadn't spoken to Riley since the incident up on the rooftop.

Not that anybody could blame Charlie, of course.

The boy had believed that he actually stood a chance with Riley. He thought that everything was going to work out for him. But, that wasn't happening. She had been lying to him, to herself, to everybody. And she had broken his heart and humiliated him in front of their entire class, at the same time, without a second thought.

She hadn't even apologized to him for taking advantage of his crush on her. She had never told him that she was wrong to use him to make Lucas jealous. She hadn't begged for forgiveness for trying to get over Lucas by moving onto Charlie.

And as time went by, Charlie just grew bitterer about the situation until he couldn't even stand to look at Riley.

Jack constantly tried to find out information about Rachel from his brother, from Eric, from Topanga and even from Cory. He hadn't spoken to her since he had left the Peace Corps and the two had broken up. Their friendship was ruined and there was no way for them to get it back. They were done and over, and there was no going back from that.

Maya didn't want that for Lucas and her, nor did she want it for Josh and her. Both boys meant too much for her to lose either one of them.

And to be Jack and Rachel did not mean to have a happily ever after. Instead, it meant that they would only be able love one another for a short while before realizing they weren't right for one another. And then they would become resentful of each other. Eventually, they would hate one another and never speak again.

It wasn't a decision of which boy Maya would date.

It was a decision of which boy Maya wanted to keep in her life forever.

"Maya?" Rachel asked, her voice soft.

She knew she was distracting Maya from her deep thoughts. She sounded as though she hated to tear the blonde away from her thought process. But, she knew that she had to get answers from the boys so she was going what she had to do.

"Sorry," Maya shook her head. "You wanted to hear about Lucas?" Maya wondered.

"Yes," Rachel nodded.

"He's…he's perfect," Maya couldn't deny that much.

Lucas was, without a doubt, absolutely perfect.

"He's sweet and loyal and loving and compassionate and generous and he just always sees the best in everything. Whether its a person or an event, he always believes that something good can come out of it," Maya said, speaking quickly as she described the green-eyed boy who had stolen her heart without a warning.

"Okay, so Lucas is perfect," Rachel smiled, cutting Maya off from her description of the boy. "And how does he make you feel?"

"Like I'm perfect," Maya said without hesitation. "Like what I do _matters,"_ she added.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"My art," Maya explained. "It never meant much to anyone before. And then…well, Lucas told me that I could be as good as these people in a book I got one time. They were incredible artists and their work left an impression on the viewer. I insisted that I couldn't be that good, ever, because people like that had things to say. They had a message to get across, but I…I didn't have anything to say worth listening to. But he insisted that I did," Maya informed them.

"Maya, we _all_ told you how great you are at art," Riley frowned, trying to comprehend what her friend meant.

"I know, Riles," Maya nodded. "But…but, well…Lucas fought for me to keep that art class. I know you all helped but he was so adamant about it. He provokes this fire in me that makes me believe that the things I care about can lead to something important, so I should fight for those things. Fight for myself…for my right to be happy," Maya whispered, looking at the hardwood floor below her.

"What about when you're with him?" Rachel asked softly.

"It's just so natural…everything is _easy._ It's reality…not as magical and life altering as when I'm with Josh, but it's _real,"_ Maya explained, lifting her head to reveal a small smile. "But it's _better_ than reality, at the same time…at least, better than I ever thought my real life could be," Maya finished.

"Why don't you think you deserve to be happy?" Rachel asked.

"I never said that," Maya frowned.

"Maya," Rachel scolded. " _Why_ don't you think that you deserve to be happy?"

"Because…because why should somebody who comes from my background have happiness? Why should I get a guy like Lucas when a girl like Riley, full of sunshine and happiness-who comes from this amazing family-couldn't keep him? How is that _fair?"_ Maya asked, her eyes immediately full of fire as she protested.

"Because _life_ isn't fair," Riley snapped. "I've listened to this for too long Maya and we agreed that we weren't going to do this anymore. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you give up on happiness just because I didn't find my happiness with Lucas. I'm going to find it eventually and then I'll be the happiest I could ever imagine being. But, _you_ deserve to be happy, too!" Riley jumped to her feet.

Riley rarely ever yelled at Maya. When she did, it was because the matters at hand were serious. They were _deathly_ serious. Riley had to get a point to Maya across that the blonde didn't seem to be getting. So, she raised her voice to reinforce the concept that what she had to say was important.

"I do not deserve to be happy anymore than you do. And you know what else? Maybe, just _maybe,_ the world is giving you more chances to be happy than it gives me because you're so much _unhappier_ than me? Maybe it's trying to make up for all of that lost time when you were younger? Did you ever stop to think about _that?"_ Riley yelled.

"Riley, don't take it personally," Rachel said calmly, her eyes on Maya. "She's just projecting," She explained.

"What?" Riley asked, dropping back down into her seat.

"She's not upset with you and she's not going back on her promise to stop thinking that you deserve happiness more than she does. She doesn't really think that, not anymore. But, she's using that as an excuse not to pick Lucas. To make her decision harder, because she doesn't want to pick," Rachel explained softly.

"Why? Why wouldn't she want to pick?" Riley asked frantically, staring at Maya in concern. "Don't you want to be happy?" She frowned.

"Of course I want to be happy! That's why I _can't_ pick," Maya burst out, finally unable to take it all anymore.

She had to tell them the truth. She had to make it clear to everybody how she felt. And she needed to tell Rachel the real reason that she had gone there. It wasn't advice for who to pick. It wasn't so Rachel could tell her which boy she should pick.

It was to find out if there was a way to make a choice where she wouldn't have to lose Lucas or Josh. She needed hope that things could be different for her than it had been for Lucas, Charlie and Riley. Different than it had been for Rachel, Jack and Eric. She needed hope that she was different from the love triangles before her.

"I don't understand," Riley shook her head.

Just like that, Riley's anger and frustration at Maya was gone. She couldn't be bothered with Maya's insistence that only Riley deserved happiness in their friendship. Besides, she believed Rachel that Maya didn't really feel that way. Not anymore.

Which made this matter serious, because she was lying to Riley. And both girls had sworn after Texas that they wouldn't lie to one another anymore. That was why Maya had gotten so angry when Riley had lied about her own feelings for Lucas. After New Years, the girls had made their vow once again, swearing on the power of their best friend rings.

For Maya to be lying to Riley about something so extreme, risking their friendship in two drastic ways, it meant that something was seriously bothering Maya.

"I can't lose either one of them, Riley," Maya sighed, lowering her head in shame. "Now I know why Lucas needed us to pick for him….he couldn't bare the thought of losing either one of us," Maya whispered, the tears threatening to fill up her blue eyes once again.

"Lucas knows how hard of a choice this is for you. He's never going to abandon his friendship with you, Maya. You mean too much to him and you know that," Riley told her, her voice stern as she tried to force her friend to believe her. "And Josh loves you. You're the best friend he's ever had. He's the first to admit that," Riley added on.

"It doesn't matter which one of them I pick, Riley! I'm not afraid of losing the one who I just choose to remain friends with. I'm terrified of losing the one that I do pick, because we're just going break up and end up resenting one another. That's what happened when you tried to pick Charlie and that's what happened with Rachel and Jack! I can't let that happen with me and either one of them!" Maya allowed the tears to fall freely as she spoke.

It was too exhausting to try to stay strong for everybody around her. She couldn't hide her own feelings so that the rest of the world would think she was unbreakable. It just wasn't good for her and she couldn't ignore that anymore.

"Is that what you think happened with Jack and me?" Rachel asked. "Maya, Jack and I didn't fall apart because that's what was destined in the triangle," Rachel shook her head.

"Then why?"

"He left me, Maya. He couldn't handle the fact that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping other people and improving the circumstances of those who didn't have as much as I was blessed to have. He wanted to make money and be successful-financially, that is. That was how he was raised to view success. I wasn't raised that way. We were too different to ever be together forever. I loved him. I loved Eric. I loved Eric like a brother and I loved Jack in a romantic way, but he was never my missing piece," Rachel shook her head.

"But what if that's what it is for Lucas and me or Josh and me?" Maya wondered.

"You wouldn't be this torn," Rachel shook her head. "It would be clear to you if you were in the same situation as I was, and I can't say that I pity you. Whoever you pick is going to be the guy that you're going to give it your all with and he's going to do the same to keep you around. The other one isn't going to be like your brother, but he's going to be an important part of your life," Rachel explained.

"So you're saying that she loves them both?" Riley asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm saying that she could be with either one of them and be happy, because she loves them both. But, one of them she loves deeper than the other. That's what she has to figure out," Rachel explained.

Just then, before either of the girls could respond, they heard a baby crying from a few rooms down the hall. The girls looked at one another with confused looks.

Maya knew that Jack would never be an absentee father, because his connection to Maya came from the fact that his own father had abandoned him in the same way Maya's had abandoned hers. To raise a different child in another family.

That meant Rachel had a child with a different man.

"Coming to me for advice was smart, Maya. Not because I had to pick between Jack and Eric, because no two triangles are the same, but because I know a thing or two about love," She smiled at the girls sitting there.

"Come on, girls," Topanga said, shooting her old friend a warm smile. "Let's let Rachel get back to her life," She stood up.

Maya jumped to her feet and wrapped Rachel in a tight hug.

"Thank you, for everything," She whispered.

Rachel's eyes widened at the impact of the tiny little girl, but after a few seconds of shock, she returned the hug, squeezing the blonde back.

* * *

"Rachel has a kid?" Maya asked as the girls followed Topanga into the hotel room she had rented for the girls and herself.

"Rachel is married," Topanga stated.

"So…what you're saying is that…there was somebody else for her after the triangle?" Riley asked cheerfully, plopping down on the couch.

"Riles, you heard what she said. No two triangles are the same," Maya shook her head.

"Maya….I just need some sort of hope that she's still somebody out there for me," Riley frowned, lowering her head.

"I already told you that Farkle-"

"Is in love with Smackle!"

"He couldn't even tell her apart from those three other freshmen last year!" Maya insisted.

"He was confused!"

"Farkle loves _you,"_ Maya insisted.

The girls were so busy, caught up in their fight, that they didn't even notice Topanga make her way into the back bedroom, slamming the door behind her as she claimed the king sized bed for herself.

"This isn't about me!"

"You just _made_ it about you!"

"Well, you cant take up all of our time on this triangle! I have problems too!"  
"Riles," Maya laughed, tumbling over onto the couch besides her friend. "You're not even making any sense right now. I hope you realize that," She cackled, leaning onto her friend for support.

"Yeah…I know," Riley said, joining her friend in their laughter.


	14. Looking On Back

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 14: Looking On Back **

_**A/N: So, I was watching GMHS Part 1 and I just got some ideas so, I added in the flashback to show you how that episode works into the canon of this story. I changed the mascot of the school and the colors, because I had already talked about that before I saw the episode, but everything else is pretty true to the episode. You'll see in the very beginning of the chapter 15 why the flashback happened. Hoping for GMHS Part 2 to be released somewhat soon so I can work that in before we get too far away from what's happening now, because I have the perfect plan for how that's going to be incorporated.**_

* * *

" _This is it!" Maya cheered, slamming open the doors to the school that would be theirs for the next four years, ignoring the almost identical looking blonde who was knocked to the side when she entered. "High school," She beamed, marching past at the head of her group._

 _"_ _We're gonna own this place!" Riley beamed ecstatically, following closely behind her best friend, almost exact in step with the shorter girl._

 _Normally, she would flash the brunette she had knocked aside with the door an apologetic smile at the very least, but not that time. She was far too excited and she had more pressing matters to get through._

 _Lucas grinned as he followed after his friends, knowing that this was going to be_ _ **their**_ _year. Sure, he had a stupid love triangle to figure out but he would handle that._

 _Besides, things didn_ _'t seem to be going that badly for them acting as a polygamous couple, with Lucas dating both of the girls. As long as he was careful not to favor Maya too strongly, the girls were happily content with Lucas failing to pick a girl, because it meant there were no hurt feelings._

 _Zay, Farkle and Smackle followed behind Lucas, staring in awe at their surroundings as they climbed up onto the second floor of the building._

 _"_ _You know," Farkle said, smiling down at the glossy, black haired beauty standing besides him. "I'm glad we're here together, Isadora. It gives me a feeling I can only describe as-"_

 _"_ _Stuck?" She grinned at him, raising her eyebrows as she tucked herself into his side._

 _In the past few months, since the nerdy, slightly awkward girl had started dating Farkle, she had become like another best friend to Maya and Riley. She had a sense of humor that was as blunt and dryly sarcastic as Maya_ _'s own. She was as quirky as Riley. But, she had her own traits that made her the perfect addition to the group._

 _"_ _Isadora," Farkle shook his head at his girlfriend. "Farkle finding the one and only Smackle lets me know that the universe has order and our existence is not just random coincidence," He explained to her._

 _She beamed, taking in Farkle_ _'s words proudly. She loved it when he talked to her in his sweet way. Sure, it was long winded and full of scientific phrases, but it was exactly what Isadora would want in a relationship._

 _"_ _Hello, Random Coincidence Ladies!" Farkle said, eyes lighting up as he noticed three girls standing behind Smackle._

 _Lucas had to admit that it was slightly creepy. After all, the girls had the exact same glasses as Smackle. They wore their hair in the same, simple manner. They were even dressed alike and they all held the same textbook._

 _But, even Lucas knew better than to comment on it, especially after what he had just said. Of course, Lucas knew better than anybody that Farkle_ _'s heart would always belong to Riley. He may love Smackle, but that didn't change the fact that Riley was his first love and would always remain the one who got away._

 _Smackle turned around, glaring at her boyfriend and swung her textbook roughly into his stomach, scowl forming across her face. When she got angry, even Maya got a little bit scared._

 _"_ _I thought they were you!"_

 _Smackle gave him a wide eyed look, pleading with him to just stop talking. Lucas just laughed at his friends_ _'s antics, loving that they hadn't seemed to change completely from the people they were in middle school. It gave him hope that the next four years would be okay-that they would still be the kings, on the top of the food chain._

 _"_ _Riles?" Maya asked, staring up at the high ceilings._

 _She had a sad look on her face, despite her smile and Lucas knew that she had noticed that she appeared even shorter in this new school than ever before. She hadn_ _'t grown that much from when she and Lucas had gotten into that fight the year before and he knew that it was still a sore subject for her._

 _"_ _What if we don't own this place?" She asked softly._

 _That made Lucas worry._

 _All of his confidence for the upcoming year was gone, because if Maya didn_ _'t believe that they could come out on top, they weren't going to do it. She and him were the ones who protected that group and there was no way that Maya could protect them if she didn't believe she could. Maya never doubted herself._

 _"_ _Maya," Riley cooed, stepping in before Lucas could say anything. "The universe would never let that happen! We're us," Riley rolled her eyes, as though her friend had just asked the stupidest question in the world._

 _That was when a swarm of freakishly tall boys dribbling basketballs came walking over towards Zay and Lucas, eyeing them up._

 _"_ _Us is in Jurassic Park," Zay paled._

 _"_ _Come on," Lucas shook his head, turning around as he pointed towards their fellow students. "They're just people in high school," He purposefully said it loud enough for Maya to hear, wanting to reassure her that her short stature meant nothing._

 _And then a boy walked out of the classroom besides Lucas who looked almost identical to Lucas. Only he was about a foot taller and twice as wide. He was huge and Lucas had to swallow quickly to hold back he shriek of terror that he felt rising up his throat. He could not let Maya know he was terrified._

 _"_ _You know who goes to our high school?" Lucas whispered, leaning in towards Zay. "Thor," His eyes grew wide._

 _"_ _I heard," Riley was saying to Maya, "that even the best friendships can come apart in high school. But…that couldn't happen to us, right?" Riley asked, trying to remain cheerful._

 _Maya was worried about remaining on top-where she could protect her friends._

 _Riley was worried about remaining friends with the students has had known since middle school._

 _It was another reminder of how the friends were different._

 _"_ _Promise me that no matter what happens, we'll always stick together?" Riley asked, grabbing Maya's hand tightly._

 _Lucas knew he was a part of the_ _"what happens" but he was glad to see that the girls were firm on not allowing him to come between their friendship. He refused to be the reason that girls stopped being friends._

 _As soon as Riley finished her sentence, the bell rang and a swarm of tall high schoolers fought the hallways, knocking Maya and Riley apart. The friends were scattered throughout the hallway when the stampede ended and Farkle was hanging from a ceiling light, swinging back and forth._

 _"_ _We're gonna own this place!" Farkle cheered from his position at the ceiling._

 _Apparently he hadn_ _'t been kidding when he told Lucas that he could fly when he was in certain situations, because the Texas-implant had no idea how else the boy could have gotten up there._

 _"_ _Look," Riley said, trying to cheer her best friends up after they had been pushed around like they were nothing. "We're Abigail Adams Bobcats," She said cheerfully, making her way towards the image of the mascot on the ground. "And we're just a part of this place as anybody else," She grinned._

 _"_ _Get in the hole," A gorgeous, leggy brunette ordered._

 _She was leaning against a locker, on one side of the boy Lucas had called Thor, dressed in form fitting skinny jeans and a loose fitting, coral peplum tank top with black heels. Her dark chocolate haired with caramel ends hung in loose curls just past her shoulders and her eyes were dark._

 _On the other side of the Thor-like creature was a blonde with shoulder length waves, a slightly upturned nose and no make-up with pale blue eyes. She wore a black blouse with blue and purple flowers decorating it and black skin-tight pants with heels._

 _"_ _Of course get in the hole," Riley nodded, immediately struck with terror._

 _"_ _What are you?" The brunette barked, pushing away from the lockers and storming towards the two younger girls._

 _"_ _Riley?"_

 _"_ _What are you?" The blonde snapped._

 _"_ _She's my best friend and we can do without the attitude, madam," Maya said, stepping front of Riley and glaring at the older girls._

 _Without a second of hesitation, the blonde was back to her old self, working to protect her friends from anybody that was messing with them. She may be a bitch with an attitude, but if anybody came at her friends with an attitude, it meant trouble._

 _"_ _What did you call us?" The brunette gasped._

 _"_ _I'm gonna probably need help now," Maya whimpered, taking a step back._

 _She wasn_ _'t afraid because she couldn't handle herself verbally. She was afraid because she thought these girls were about to hit her and she wasn't sure she could hold her own in a physically fight. She took a step behind Lucas, gently pushing him forward to defend his girls._

 _"_ _Spunky," The brunette took a step forward, eyes on Maya. "You know what I'm gonna call you?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Spunky," she smirked._

 _"_ _And what are you, Spunky?" The blonde asked darkly._

 _"_ _Her name is Maya and you can call me Lucas," Lucas said, stepping in front of Maya and glaring at the older girls. "You wanna know what I am?" He said, turning towards a boy in a stripped shirt who was actually about his size._

 _Maya took a step forward and he could feel her presence besides him. He was grateful for that, knowing that she had his back._

 _"_ _I'm as strong as a horse. I don't know how, I just am," He shrugged._

 _"_ _Yeah, he's not even with us," Thor said, leaning over the head of the confused boy. "When my friends say to do something, you do what they say," he threatened, leaning over Lucas who stared back defiantly._

 _"_ _This hallway here is for people who have earned it," the dark haired girl spoke up._

 _"_ _Why are you doing this?" Lucas shook his head._

 _"_ _You wanna hear your freshman song?" The blonde asked cheerfully._

 _"_ _Oh! We have a freshman song! I want to hear our freshman song!" Riley chirped, bright eyes on the group before her._

 _She was trying to find the best in them, but Lucas wasn_ _'t sure that there was any good in them. He was pretty sure that high school was going to teach them that not everyone had a good side._

 _"_ _I think you don't," Maya rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _Oh, we have come to Abigail with innocence of soul!" The three seniors sang, while the blonde cheerfully skipped back towards the lockers and the brunette danced her way back, Thor marching between the girls._

 _"_ _And what we are is freshman," The sang on with their backs against the lockers, ignoring the dancing Riley in front of them. " So we go into the hole," they sang on, gesturing towards the space between the two floors, with surprisingly well though out harmonies._

 _Riley started to sing the song and Maya turned at her with shock._

 _"_ _RILEY!"_

 _"_ _You know it's not so bad down here,"Zay spoke up, staring at the group between the spaces between the rails connecting the railing to the floor._

 _"_ _You're already down there?" Lucas asked in disbelief, feeling betrayed by his friend._

 _"_ _Oh, I saw how this was gonna play," Zay nodded._

 _Riley started to sing the song, marching her way down into the hole to take a space besides Zay with a cheerful smile._

 _"_ _We were kings," Maya said, stepping right up into the blonde's face, but her voice didn't have any of its usual spunk._

 _"_ _Yeah," The blonde shrugged. "That's over," she explained._

 _She turned around, watching as Smackle made her way down as well. Lucas was standing at the top of the stairs, his head hung in shame. She shook her head once and slowly made her way down the flight of stairs._

 _"_ _You," Thor shouted, glancing up at Farkle who immediately jumped from his bulb, landing on the floor of the hole with a panicked look on his face._

 _"_ _You guys know we're not gonna stay down here, right? You guys know as soon as you leave we're just gonna go to class?" Lucas asked, staring at the trio defiantly._

 _He was going to do all that it took to protect his friends._

 _"_ _Oh, we want you to go to class!" The blonde said happily._

 _"_ _But pend your free time down here because of what Spunky said," The brunette ordered, causing the entire group except for Lucas to look at Maya as though she had betrayed them._

 _Lucas didn_ _'t like that. The blonde hadn't even said anything until after the senior girl had ordered them all to enter the hole. It wasn't right to blame Maya._

 _"_ _What? We were kings?" Maya spoke up before Lucas could say anything._

 _"_ _Yeah, in middle school you were," Thor rolled his eyes._

 _"_ _We all were," The brunette assured her._

 _"_ _But right now? You're not. We are," The blonde said. "We walk anywhere we want and you don't," She explained bluntly._

 _"_ _Why? Because you say so?" Lucas challenged._

 _"_ _Yeah," Thor said as though it were simple to understand. "Get down there, little buddy," Thor said, walking towards Lucas and putting his face close to his._

 _"_ _You'll know when to come out!" The blonde said helpfully._

 _"_ _This is a service we perform," The brunette explained. "You don't have to thank us," She said and they both curtsied._

 _"_ _Yeah, trust me? We won't," Lucas said bitterly._

 _"_ _Trust me," Thor said. "You will," he told them forcefully._

 _"_ _If there's nothing else, we wish you goo day!" Riley said cheerfully, her smile still bright._

 _"_ _Good luck in high school," The brunette said as they walked away. Riley was the only one who waved as Lucas gave up, turning around and walking down the steps in defeat._

 _"_ _I'm sorry we're in here guys," Lucas frowned, leaning against the wall._

 _"_ _It's not your fault, Lucas," Farkle said softly._

 _"_ _You can't protect us," Zay told him._

 _He hadn_ _'t said it to be mean, but it felt like an accusation to Lucas. It felt like he had let all of his friends down, because he hadn't been able to keep them safe._

 _"_ _I used to," He whispered._

* * *

 _Maya came walking up the steps from the hole and her eyes immediately lit up. Lucas found himself smiling at her cheerful exterior. He loved it when her eyes sparkled like that._

 _"_ _Riles!" She beamed, hurrying towards a tiny bench with a window behind it._

 _Riley took off running after her, her own face lighting up just as much._

 _"_ _I think this may just turn out fine," Riley smiled as she took a seat besides her best friend, not realizing that she was jinxing a good thing-probably the best thing that had happened to them since they had entered the building that day._

 _"_ _You're in our spot," A leggy cheerleader with dark skin and dark curls said, hand on her hip and one leg jutted out._

 _"_ _This is where we sit,_ _"_ _the first girl's blonde haired companion said, squatting down low to face Riley and Maya head-on._

 _Lucas hated the fact that once again it was a blonde and a brunette pair. Were all female friends paired off into perfectly separated duos with one blonde and one brunette?_

 _Without saying a word, Maya rose to her feet and allowed the cheerleaders to take over the bench. Riley, of course, followed the example set by her more mature, more experienced and smarter (at least street-smarter) best friend._

 _"_ _You guys sit in the window, and you guys talk about life!" Riley chirped, but there was a hopeful tone to her statement._

 _She was losing her confidence when it came to predicting people, because she had been wrong about so much already._

 _"_ _No, we sit in the window and we go like this," the Latina-looking beauty rolled her eyes._

 _Immediately, in perfect unison, the pair flipped their hair, crossed their legs and flapped a wrist. It was the same movement pattern that Riley and Maya had been doing for years and the girls shared a shock expression that their handshake had been stolen from them._

 _"_ _Hi," The blonde winked, eyes locked on Lucas._

 _"_ _What's your name?" The brunette said, eyeing up the blonde haired male._

 _Lucas immediately jumped forward and wrapped an arm around both of the girls, pulling them close to him._

 _"_ _Lucas," He stated. "And these are my…"He trailed off, eyeing the girls carefully._

 _He wasn_ _'t sure what to call them. He had been called Riley's boyfriend in class earlier and the brunette hadn't argued the fact, nor had he, but they had had far more important things to worry about than a label._

 _"_ _How would you like to be called?" He asked Riley with a somewhat mocking grin._

 _"_ _Uh…girlfriend?" Riley said, flashing the girls a small smile._

 _"_ _And how would you like to be called?" Lucas asked, flashing Maya a warm grin._

 _"_ _Uh…girlfriend, equally as much!" Maya answered, trying to sound confident._

 _"_ _Hi!" Zay spoke up, eyes locked on the cheerleaders. "My name is Zay and I'm completely available!" He said brightly._

 _"_ _Girlfriend-es-es?" The blonde asked, trying to clarify._

 _"_ _It's complicated," Maya barked._

 _"_ _You know what's not complicated?" Zay asked. "Zay, available," He pointed to himself._

 _"_ _Well, I'm sure you're all adorable together," The brunette said._

 _"_ _And thanks for being a distraction until the football team finished practice," the blonde smirked._

 _"_ _I'm trying out for football!" Zay raised his hand in the air._

 _"_ _Yeah?" The brunette cocked an eyebrow, eying the boy. "Good luck to you," she snickered._

 _Maya didn_ _'t like that. It implied that this random female didn't think that her friends were good enough. And who was she, some stranger, to determine what Zay and Lucas were capable of doing?_

 _A swarm of football players, padded up and in uniform came marching down the stairs at that moment, led-of course-by Thor. Lucas pulled Maya to the side, taking a step in front of her to protect her from the stampede coming their way while Riley backed up into the wall besides the bench where the cheerleaders were sitting._

 _"_ _You're the football players in high school?" Lucas asked, looking up into the eyes of one of them while Riley poked her head around his side. "Hey…that's great…"he sighed._

 _Maya didn_ _'t like that either. He wasn't supposed to be discouraged. He was supposed to go to tryouts and believe that he would make the team, because he_ _ **would**_ _make the team. And he would excel, because he was Lucas and there was nothing that he couldn't do._

 _"_ _You're the cheerleaders in high school?" Riley turned towards the older girls who nodded their heads. "Hey, that's great," She forced a smile._

 _"_ _The scientists here are gigantic!" Farkle complained, pushing past the football players with Smackle in tow._

 _The girl threw her hands in the air as if to show them all how tall the upper classmen were, despite being surrounded by a group of them, and then the two brainiacs stormed off, trying to shake off their after school experience._

 _"_ _So, you guys decided to come upstairs? You think you're ready for the big time?" Thor asked, eyes focused on Lucas._

 _"_ _Maybe not just yet," He shook his head, walking away._

 _Maya hated that even more, because that was him giving up and Lucas Friar did not just give up._

* * *

" _THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Riley stormed into her father's classroom with her friends in tow._

 _"_ _Uh, what is?" Cory asked, looking up from his desk in confusion._

 _"_ _Things are going bad, man," Zay shook his head. "We need somebody to blame," He shrugged his shoulders, shooting the teacher an apologetic look._

 _"_ _I am also feeling these emotions!" Smackle shouted._

 _"_ _We've fallen on hard times, Matthews," Maya whined._

 _"_ _Fix it, sir," Lucas pleaded._

 _"_ _Bravo! Wonderful performance," Cory applauded them. "Shall we begin again?"_

 _The students shared confused looks with one another, trying to figure out what Cory was talking about. They weren_ _'t finished, so why would they start over in the middle of everything?_

 _"_ _Lovely," Riley spoke up. "What shall we do differently?" She wondered._

 _"_ _Well…this time, I think I'd like to go first?"_

 _"_ _Oh, by all means! In five…four…three…two…"Maya nodded for their teacher to begin._

 _"_ _YOU DID THIS!" Cory snapped, rising to his feet._

 _"_ _Yikes!" Riley jumped backwards, shocked to hear her father yelling, especially at her and her friends, who had always been his favorite students._

 _"_ _I was fine in middle school. I could have gone on there forever going on about anything I wanted. And you suckers believed everything I said," Cory accused them. "But you had to bring me here? I've got to teach stuff now! That is not why I got into this," He informed them._

 _"_ _Did you prepare us?" Riley whispered._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Did you prepare us for this?"_

 _"_ _We're not important, Matthews," Maya spoke up._

 _"_ _You always made us feel important," Lucas reminded him._

 _"_ _You never prepared us to be unimportant and now we don't know what to do," Smackle accused him, pointing her finger in his face._

 _"_ _You didn't even go to our school!" Cory pointed out._

 _"_ _But I'm here now and I catch on fast," Smackle insisted, whirling around towards Lucas, Maya and Riley. "I wanna be in the triangle!"_

 _"_ _Smackle!" Farkle snapped._

 _"_ _What I say?" She whispered, turning towards her boyfriend and ignoring the shocked expressions on the face of the three members of the love triangle._

 _"_ _We're not kings anymore," Maya explained._

 _"_ _The seniors are kings," Riley stated._

 _"_ _Are they good kings?"_

 _"_ _NO!" Lucas shouted._

 _"_ _We don't know that yet," Riley pointed out. "We don't know their reasoning," She informed her father sweetly._

 _"_ _They don't have a reason. They're just putting us in a hole."_

 _"_ _Riley's looking for the best in people, right?" Cory asked with a sigh._

 _"_ _Yes! Would you tell her to stop?"_

 _"_ _What's the matter, Lucas? It's not so easy to protect them anymore, right?"_

 _"_ _Don't look at me," Lucas turned around, crossing his arms over his chest and lowering his head once again._

 _Maya was sick of looking at him like that. She couldn_ _'t take it anymore because he didn't deserve to be beating himself up over it. They were becoming adults. They shouldn't need him to fight their battles for them single handedly anymore. They should be able to step in and fight their own battles, with him there for support when needed. He didn't need to carry that burden around on his shoulders. It just wasn't fair._

* * *

" _They want you to stay down here?" Cory asked, hanging his head over the railing and looking down at them._

 _"_ _Until we think we're ready to leave," Farkle shrugged._

 _"_ _Well, why would they pick just you guys out?"_

 _"_ _Because we're freshman and they think we're easy targets," Lucas explained._

 _"_ _Yeah, but there's a whole class of freshman. Why do you think they picked just you guys?" Cory wondered._

 _"_ _They said that we'd thank them for this," Riley said helpfully._

 _"_ _We are never thanking them!" Lucas snapped._

 _"_ _Dad, would you tell him that there's a purpose for this!"_

 _"_ _Mr. Matthews, will you please tell her that they were messing with us?"_

 _"_ _This is on me," Cory sighed._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _You were kids. I taught you to always look for the lessons that life is trying to teach you. Now you're not kids. It's day one in a bigger world. You've asked me if I prepared you for this? We'll see," He stated, shaking his head before walking away._

 _"_ _It's not just a hole," Riley said forcefully._

 _Maya knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince the whole group. She needed there to be a greater meaning to this experiment so that she could go on believing that there was always good in everybody in the world._

 _"_ _What is it then?" Lucas asked._

 _"_ _You don't have to get angry!_

 _"_ _I am angry, Riley," Lucas snapped. "This isn't how I want to start high school. I want to walk anywhere I want. I want to go out for the football team."_

 _"_ _Lucas, you'll get killed on the football team," Riley laughed as though the idea were ridiculous to her._

 _"_ _Whoa!" Zay gasped, lifting up his head._

 _Maya gasped, shocked that Riley could say such a thing. It didn_ _'t matter what Lucas's size was, because he was_ _ **strong.**_ _He was as strong as a horse, if not even stronger. He had proved it to them countless times. Besides, he was still growing. In no time at all, he would be larger than the boys on the football team._

 _Even if he really would get killed-even if Riley really thought that-it was never a fear that should be verbalized to Lucas. It would only shatter his already decreasing confidence._

 _In Texas, when Maya had been terrified for Lucas_ _'s safety when he was going to ride the bull, the blonde had never once stated her true fears to him. Not before he had gotten on the bull at least. She had never told him that she believed he wasn't strong enough to handle it. She had told him it wasn't worth the risk, but not that she didn't think he would be physically capable of it._

 _And if Riley could condone him riding a bull, she should be able to agree that he was more than capable of trying out for the football team. It was unfair of her and cruel to state such a thing to him._

 _"_ _Really?" Lucas asked, biting down on his bottom lip and clenching his fists. "That's what you think?" He asked darkly, no light in his eyes._

 _Riley stared back at him, not correcting her statement._

 _"_ _So, you'll put your faith in some random seniors you just met but you don't have any faith in me?"_

 _"_ _I don't think that they're random," Riley insisted. "I don't think that anything that ever happens to us is random," Riley told him._

 _"_ _Sometimes," Lucas said. "You are just too much for me, Riley," He told her, his face radiating the honesty he was speaking._

 _Everything had to be her way at all times._

 _She was always right._

 _Nobody could react to anything she said._

 _He preferred Maya, who allowed for realism._

 _The girl who believed in him and pushed him to succeed._

 _"_ _Guys…can we just calm down?" Maya whispered softly. "This isn't who we are," She pointed out, eyes filling with tears._

 _"_ _Yeah?" Lucas asked, turning towards her sadly. "Who are we?" He asked her._

 _He wanted her to tell him something that made it clear that the triangle was over and she wanted him. He wanted her to, finally, admit her feelings._

 _When she didn_ _'t say anything, he just walked away._

 _"_ _I better….you know…this is when he does something," Zay stuttered, taking off after his friend._

 _Maya wanted to run after him. To stop him from going back to his old self. But, Riley was standing there ready to cry. Riley needed something and Lucas had Zay. She couldn_ _'t just leave her best friend on her own._

* * *

" _I can't think," Riley slammed her laptop shut and placed it on the table in front of her._

 _"_ _I know!" Maya said, not looking away from her own homework._

 _"_ _They're not gonna show are they?" Riley asked frantically, turning towards her blonde friend with eyes full of panic and concern._

 _"_ _No," she said, slamming down her pencil._

 _She was being hard on Riley. Harder than she ever had before. But she was still angry with her about the comment she had made to Lucas. That hadn_ _'t been right and she couldn't blame Lucas and Zay for being angry with her._

 _She had questioned Lucas_ _'s strength, which was all the boy thought he had at times. It was the thing that he was proud of, even if he would never admit it. And football was one of the few things that kept him grounded. Besides that, it brought him back to his Texas roots-to a time when he had been at his happiest._

 _It wasn_ _'t fair to act as though he had to give that up just because he was only a freshmen._

 _Lucas was strong enough and hard working enough to make himself a valuable player on the team._

 _"_ _We do our homework together every night!" Riley insisted, ignoring Maya's cold mannerisms._

 _"_ _Yeah," Maya nodded._

 _"_ _They're actually upset with me," Riley said to herself. "The fight I had with them is real. Is this happening? It's the first day of high school and I thought we were so ready…"She trailed off, lost in her thoughts._

 _Maya felt bad for her friend._

 _As angry as she was about what she had said to Lucas, she was worried about Riley. She felt awful for her that her worst fear was coming true. She knew that she had to be there for Riley, one way or another._

 _Maybe it would mean losing Lucas, but she had to be there for Riley._

 _"_ _I told you we shouldn't go!" Maya reminded her, trying to lighten the mood and get a smile out of her best friend._

 _"_ _Friendships come apart in high school. I guess I just never thought that it could actually happen to us…"Riley sighed, shaking her head._

 _Maya had to do something._

 _She knew that much. She had to fix Riley and she had to fix the mess that there were all in._

 _Maybe she couldn_ _'t protect them with her attitude anymore. Maybe her strength wasn't going to help keep them safe anymore. But, Maya could protect them by fixing their problems and keeping their group in tact. Because, as long as they had one another, they had the world at their fingertips._


	15. The Deal

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 15: The Deal**

 _ **A/N: The next few chapters are going to be putting the time line of their freshman year in order. The story is currently taking place at the very beginning of October of their sophomore year. The flashbacks from here on out are going to show what provoked Maya to force Lucas to pick Riley and how she and Josh got together.**_

 _ **A/N2: I'm sorry for how much of GMHS Part 1 I put in the last chapter. I sort of didn't realize just how much of the plot I spoiled until I looked back at it. I'll try to use the scenes we know are happening if I have the chapter dealing with GMHS Part 2 ready to be released before the official airdate of the episode.**_

* * *

The memories of the first few days of high school haunted Lucas Friar. Those memories had been the final factor in his decision, after all.

Those moments had also been the final shove that Maya had needed to know that somebody had to make a decision and they had to make a decision _fast._ It was because of those first few days that Maya had done what she did.

Riley had realized something during those days as well. She had realized that, if she and Lucas were all sunshine and rainbows, the two of them could be okay. But, as soon as they disagreed and got into a fight, she had no idea how to act. It scared her and it made her worry about what would happen to their relationship if they weren't a couple and got into a fight. It made her cling onto her place in the triangle even tighter.

Farkle, Zay and Isadora had all realized something as well, of course. They all had.

Zay had realized that Riley didn't believe in Lucas the same way that she used to and that Maya was even more loyal than he had ever thought she was. He had realized that Lucas would also appear to be god-like to the female population and he would always come in second if he didn't find something to make him stand out.

Farkle had realized that there would be plenty of Isadora's in the world. There were plenty of blondes who resembled Maya just enough. But Riley was one of a kind and he would never find another one.

It was a realization that haunted him to this day, because Riley loved Lucas and Farkle just couldn't compete with that. So, he dated Isadora and he tried to turn his love for her into the type of love that he had always-and would always, he was sure-feel for the one and only Riley Matthews. It just wasn't working quite yet.

Smackle had realized that Farkle would never love her in quite the same way that he loved the other brunette. He may love her more than he had ever loved Maya Hart, but Smackle would never be able to compete with Riley. That was a sad fact that killed her, but she accepted it and quickly moved on. After all, she knew Farkle knew that as well and if he wasn't acting any differently because of it, she wasn't going to either.

Every single member of their gang had realized something.

They had all learned an important lesson in those first few days and for some of them, those days had been the beginning of the end.

* * *

Lucas walked into school on Monday morning and knew right away that something was different.

When he was dating Riley, there were plenty of days when he would walk into the school alone. Or, he would walk in with Riley by his side. But, no matter who walked into the building with him, one thing was always certain.

Maya Hart, without fail, would race through the hallways and launch herself into his arms, leaving him no option but to lift her off of the ground or risk her falling onto her perky ass, every single morning while she squealed in excitement over seeing her best friend. No matter what other people may think, it was just a part of their routine.

When he entered the building Monday morning, after all of the drama that the weekend had held regarding the newly developed love triangle between himself, Josh and Maya, and the blonde didn't immediately come running up to him, it meant that something as wrong.

She had been completely fine when they had hung out on Saturday morning. She had been texting him the same as she always did. There was no way that she was mad at him. He doubted that she would change their morning routine just because of the chaos caused by the party Friday night.

That left only one response for why Maya wasn't racing into his arms right away. It was because she wasn't in school. And if there was thing that couldn't be denied about Maya, it was that she never missed school.

She was rarely ever late to school, and when she was she made sure to inform all of her friends so that they didn't worry about her.

But, Maya never missed school. She had had perfect attendance since before Lucas had met her. As far as he knew, she had never missed a day of school since she met Riley but he was positive that she had never missed a day of school since she started.

While she used Riley as her excuse for why she never missed a day, Lucas had a different theory. One he had developed due to a situation between her and Zay years ago.

* * *

" _Wow…yours is a lot of something," Zay whistled, lowering himself to sit down on an upside down bucket next to Maya._

 _"_ _She's a lot of work," Maya said bluntly, her navy blue eyes focused on the pretty brunette and the green-eyed hunk flirting their way through a car wash in front of her._

 _Lucas may be spraying Riley with a hose as revenge for what the brunette had been putting him through all week, but as soon as he had seen Zay crawl out of the car and make his way towards the blonde, his attention had been devoted to the blonde and the Texas transfer student, watching to make sure his best friend didn_ _'t try anything with the love of his life._

 _"_ _What happens when you're home sick?" Zay asked, eyebrows crinkling at the very thought of Riley without Maya close by._

 _"_ _Oh, I could never get sick," Maya shuddered at the thought and flashed the boy a teasing grin._

 _They both burst out laughing and Lucas scowled at their happiness. Maya wasn_ _'t supposed to be making Zay throw his head back laughing. She was supposed to be making Lucas laugh like he had never laughed before._

 _Zay was a flirt and he was a lady_ _'s man. He didn't need to have Maya's attention because he would never settle down with just one girl._

 _But, despite Maya_ _'s laughter, she had a sad look in her eyes that showed there was another reason for why she didn't miss school. A more emotional reason that was far more personal to her than just working to protect her best friend from herself._

 _He was used to being the guy Maya went to to talk about personal problems. He wasn_ _'t used to her hiding things from him and the fact that she was made him that much more curious._

 _"_ _So, just between you and me…what did Ranger Rick really do? Did he tip over a cow? Did he put eleven gallons in a ten gallon hat?" Maya flashed Zay a teasing grin as she leaned in close to him, eager to hear more._

 _"_ _I already told you too much and he'll tell you what he wants to tell you," Zay said softly._

 _Lucas was confused why Maya was playing that game. He had told her the story the year before. There was no reason for her to be trying to get the story from Zay, unless she wanted an excuse to keep a conversation with him going._

 _He hoped that she had some good reason for trying to pry, because it would hurt him too much if she was just trying to talk to Zay._

 _All he wanted was for her to be over her silly little crush on Joshua Matthews, but he didn_ _'t want her to move onto some other guy in their grade. Not a guy that Lucas was friends with, especially so. He only wanted her to get over Josh if it meant that she was going to get under him. Until she was interested in Lucas, he was fine with her having a crush on Josh, who was unattainable to her._

 _"_ _You were really best friends?" Maya asked, eying the boy._

 _"_ _Oh, there were never better best friends," Zay smirked._

 _"_ _I think there were," Maya said, but her eyes were focused on Lucas, not Riley. Before Zay could notice that, however, she kept talking. "And if Riley was coming from Texas, at least she'd tell me what happened," Maya shot Zay a pointed look._

 _"_ _Like I said, something happened," Zay said sharply, calling Maya's attention back to him and away from Lucas._

 _A scream from Riley distracted them all from Maya_ _'s conversation with the new boy._

* * *

Later, when Maya had burst into his bedroom like a force to be reckoned with, Lucas learned the truth behind her inquiry to Zay. She wanted proof that Lucas should trust his best friend. She wanted to be able to defend her case that Lucas should give Zay another chance, rather than leave him on his own in a new city.

But, she had never explained why she seemed so funny when she told Zay she could never get sick and miss school.

So, Lucas had formed his own conclusions and become convinced that it was because school was always her safe haven. It was the place where she was always promised a decent meal. She was always promised to have people around her. She was promised a place to go to get away from her parents's constant fighting. She was promised a place where she was on the top of the food chain.

Which left the question….where was Maya?

And what was Lucas supposed to do without her?

Every since they had started high school, Lucas had been able to depend on Maya. He hadn't always been able to depend on Riley, but Maya had always stated how much she believed in him. She never failed to put her faith into Lucas.

That was why he worked so hard to succeed. If he was able to constantly do better than his best-to _excel-_ it meant that Maya was right to go against Riley and believe in Lucas no matter what. He never wanted her to look at him the way she had looked at him in Texas, as though he wasn't strong enough to actually do what he had said he would do.

He wanted to be able to constantly receive the look that Maya had given him after, when she had seen him succeed. He basked in that look and he lived for it.

Maya was his ray of sunshine, despite the fact that everybody swore that Riley was a perfect little ray of sunshine to everybody else. To Lucas, it was Maya and that was all that he needed to get by.

Even when Lucas couldn't believe in himself anymore, she believed in him.

It gave him hope for a better tomorrow. One where, maybe, he might even be able to find the faith in himself that he had lost somewhere long the way. He needed her to believe in him, because if a girl like Maya could believe in him, it meant that he was worth believing in. It was an insult to her if he couldn't even believe in himself when she was so confident in him.

Forcing himself to walk forward with the blonde beauty at his side, he clenched his fist tightly around the strap of his backpack and pushed forward, trying to block out the memories flooding his mind.

* * *

" _Alright, Huckleberry, time for a talk," Maya chirped, staring up at him from her bed as soon as he crawled through the window._

 _She was lying on her stomach, positioned in the center of her twin bed in her small bedroom in her neat, two bedroom apartment, with a book about Alexander Hamilton in front of her. She was dressed in a pair of black, spandex shorts and one of Lucas_ _'s old football jerseys over it, her hair piled on the top of her head in a sloppy bun, a few loose strands falling into her make-up free face, tickling at her soft features._

 _Lucas didn_ _'t want to talk to her. He wanted to crawl into bed with her, wrap his arms around her and pull her close. He wanted her to face him and press her rosy lips up against his own. He wanted her to be close to him without any thoughts about Riley coming between them and their moment together._

 _But he knew that wasn_ _'t going to happen, especially when she wanted to talk, so he sat down on the foot of her bed and flashed her a smile._

 _"_ _I know and I'm sorry that I didn't show up tonight but…I can't face her, Maya. Not after what she said to me," Lucas shook his head._

 _"_ _That's not what I want to talk to you about," Maya shook her head, forcing herself to sit up, a slight groan released from her mouth as she moved. "Well, it is…but not completely," She explained._

 _"_ _Then what do you want to talk about?"_

 _"_ _I understand that you're mad at her. I get that," Maya nodded. "I don't blame you for it, because I would be mad too. Riley looks for the best in everybody. She believes in everybody. Hell, she thought she could be a cheerleader and she still wants the two of us to try out for the team together. You have every right to be mad at her for that," Maya agreed with him._

 _"_ _You sound like_ _ **you're**_ _mad at her," Lucas observed._

 _"_ _I_ _ **am,"**_ _Maya said bluntly._

 _"_ _Then why were you there tonight? Why did you stay in the hole with her? Why are you following her?" Lucas asked._

 _"_ _You have Zay and Farkle has Smackle. Riley needs somebody, too," Maya whispered._

 _She was facing Lucas on the bed now, her legs crossed pretzel-style in front of her as she stared at him. But, when she said those soft words, she lowered her head and stared at her lap, as though afraid of what he would say in response to her excuse._

 _"_ _Maya…we're not abandoning any of you. We're all still friends but…Maya, you know how much football means to me," Lucas told her, reaching out to take her hand reassuringly._

 _"_ _I know you aren't," Maya said. "You would never leave me. And I know why football is so important to you. That's what we need to talk about," She said, looking up at him with a confident little smile betraying the sadness to her eyes._

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _You're amazing, Lucas. You're an incredible football player and like you've said before-you're strong as a horse. Without even trying, you just are. It doesn't matter how much smaller than the other guys you are, because you're_ _ **fast**_ _and you're_ _ **strong.**_ _You're going to make the team because any coach who doesn't see how amazing you are shouldn't be a coach, okay?" Maya assured him, her eyes lighting up as she encouraged him._

 _"_ _I'm trying out," Lucas told her. "And I want you to be at tryouts to watch me."_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _Because," He shrugged, looking away from her and breaking their eye contact "You're sort of my good luck charm," He admitted, a sheepish blush taking over his cheeks._

 _"_ _I'll be there," Maya smiled, basking in the compliment that he had given her._

 _"_ _Promise?"_

 _"_ _I promise."_

 _"_ _And one more thing?"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Try out for the cheerleading team with Riley, and don't do bad on purpose the way you normally do," Lucas ordered her._

 _"_ _What are you talking about?" Maya asked, ducking her head down._

 _"_ _Maya, I saw you watching Riley at tryouts last year. You were so focused on that routine when she was learning it, as if you were committing it to memory. I saw you running through the motions discretely, whenever you thought we weren't looking at you. And I've seen you dance and I've seen that you're amazing at gymnastics," Lucas told her._

 _"_ _So? Maybe I just don't want to be a-"_

 _"_ _You made a comment that the one year Riley made the team was the one year you didn't try out. You wouldn't cared if you didn't want to be on the team," Lucas crossed his arms over his chest._

 _"_ _Okay, so maybe I want to be a cheerleader. So what? You've seen Riley and you know she won't make the team again. It would kill her if I made the team and she didn't. Lucas, our entire friendship would be threatened," Maya whispered._

 _"_ _You're worried that if you try out and make the team that it'll kill her even more when I pick you, aren't you?" Lucas asked._

 _There was silence between them after that._

 _Neither of them had ever spoken that fact aloud. They both knew that Lucas wanted to pick Maya. They knew he was waiting for the right moment to tell Riley what he had decided._

 _But, they yet to talk about that. Verbalizing it made it real._

 _Maybe it was unfair to Riley-for Lucas to be playing the game and acting as though the triangle was still existent-when he knew that he was going to pick Maya in the end._

 _But, he couldn_ _'t do that. Maya had made it pretty clear to him when they had first discussed Lucas's feelings that he had to exert all of his abilities when it came to trying to make things work with Riley. He had to give it his all and then he would be able to pick Maya and let the world know._

 _The hard thing about that, however, was trying to figure out when the time was right for Lucas to determine that he had tried everything to make it work and was willing to pick Maya now. He was pretty sure he_ _'d never be able to figure that out._

 _"_ _You can't say things like that….and you can't pick me…not now," Maya whispered, lowering her head._

 _Lucas knew what that meant._

 _It meant that Maya was going to be the one to end the triangle. He wasn_ _'t going to get to pick and he wasn't going to be able to voice his opinion._

 _Maya was getting the final pick and if Lucas tried to do otherwise, he wasn_ _'t going to have either girl._

 _Maybe he was being selfish, but going along with what Maya wanted solely so he wouldn_ _'t be alone, but at least then Riley wouldn't be heartbroken because he had picked Maya only to be rejected by Maya. It would seem as though everything was for nothing._

 _In the end, Lucas had to be with one of the girls, because if he ended up with neither it meant that everything that had happened since their trip to Texas was a waste._

 _All of the pain that Riley had felt would have been for nothing. She would have given up Lucas for Maya_ _'s sake for no reason. She would have sat by and watched Lucas have a relationship with both girls for no reason. She would have given up on the first boy she ever truly cared about for nothing._

 _And Lucas knew that Maya was terrified that if that happened, it would make Riley so angry that she would completely forget about their friendship._

 _Maya would lose Riley if that happened and Lucas had promised that he would never_ _ **ever**_ _hurt her. And losing Riley would break her heart. It would hurt her. And it would kill her._

 _Lucas would not be able to stand idly by and watch Maya slowly kill herself. He couldn_ _'t do it and he wouldn't do it._

 _"_ _I know…just…Maya, I need you to tell me what to do," He pleaded with her, placing his fingers under her chin and lifting her head, forcing her to make eye contact with him. He needed her to see that he was hurting just as much as she and Riley were._

* * *

Maya glanced at her dead cell phone, cursing herself for forgetting to charge it, and rolled her eyes at the useless object in her phone.

She was sure that Lucas was panicking, worrying about where she was and what had happened to her since they hadn't talked in days. She knew that her absence at school was going to make him go even crazier and she was terrified of what he was going to do as a result.

It was probably a sign that she should just give in and pick Lucas, since she was more concerned with his reaction to her lack of communication than to what Josh would be thinking, but she couldn't force herself to rush into anything at the first sign of favoritism of one boy over the other. It could lead to deadly consequences.

The worst part of not having a cell phone available to her-and having Riley completely forget her phone on their journey-was that she didn't have any distractions.

She had spent most of the drive back to the city the same way that she had sent the drive to Rachel's home-sleeping. And every time she fell asleep she was haunted by the memories of the first few days of freshman year. Back when everything had seemed to be falling apart around her and her friends.

Memories haunted her that didn't even involve Josh. They weren't going to play any sort of part in helping her to make a decision. It just wasn't fair that she was forced to deal with these memories on top of her decision between Josh and Lucas.

Because she knew that if they were haunting her and causing her so much stress, they had to mean _something._

She just couldn't figure out what it was that they were supposed to mean.

* * *

 _Maya was curled up in her bedroom, wrapped up in an old, long sleeve, thermal top that had belonged to her father when Lucas crawled in through her window._

 _He had been prepared to give her an entire spiel about how he wasn_ _'t going to let her decide. He was going to be with her or nobody at all. He would explain it all to Riley._

 _Despite what he had determined the night before, after spending the past two days watching other high school boys stare at her hungrily, he couldn_ _'t allow himself to leave her single. He needed to be with her and that was final._

 _But, when he saw her red-rimmed eyes and the tears spilling from her face, leaving trails of mascara down her cheeks, he knew he had to do something. Her hair was tossed into a sloppy, sideways ponytail with some pieces not even completely pulled all the way through the ponytail holder. A pair of form fitting, stretchy black shorts barely covered her ass and she was burying her face in the dark, burnt orange colored fabric of the shirt._

 _All former plans pushed aside, he stormed towards her bed and took a seat besides her, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her into his lap, allowing her head to rest against his chest as he held onto her tightly, his head resting on her own._

 _"_ _Sh," He shushed her. "Don't cry, Maya," He whispered. "Its all going to be okay, I promise," He assured her._

 _He had no idea what was wrong with her but he couldn_ _'t believe that she was in tears like that when she had been perfectly fine at school. She had been upset at school, sure, because none of them were talking to one another and instead remained broken up into their little duos, but she had been able to laugh and goof around in attempts to make Riley laugh. She hadn't been broken like this._

 _Something had to have happened and Lucas vowed to fix things with his friends so that he would never be so lost when it came to what was happening to Maya again. He refused to sit there and hold her while she cried without any idea as to what was wrong with her._

 _It was a shock that Riley wasn_ _'t with her, but Lucas supposed that was normal._

 _When Riley was having problems, Maya shoved her own aside so that the brunette didn_ _'t know the blonde had any. By Maya pushing aside her own feelings, she appeared strong. That meant Riley could lean on her and get support through all of her problems. I_

 _It had worked in the past, because Maya had had Lucas to go to when she couldn_ _'t keep pretending to be strong anymore. Now, though, she was sitting on her own in the dark crying her eyes out and Lucas couldn't tolerate the thought of that._

 _"_ _Why didn't you call me? How long have you been like this? God, Maya…talk to me, please?" He pleaded._

 _Some people preferred not to talk when they were upset. They just needed somebody to hold them and be there for them._

 _Maya was like that._

 _But, she had two types of sadness. When she was sitting there, unable to cry and unable to move, she didn_ _'t want to talk. She just wanted to know that somebody was there for her. All she needed was for somebody to hold her._

 _Once the tears started to fall, she was ready to talk._

 _"_ _Ava's father left," Maya whimpered. "That poor, beautiful little girl had to hear from her mother that her father left and wasn't coming back. He actually_ _ **told**_ _her mother that he wasn't coming back. At least Kermit had the decency to act like he had intentions of coming back for us," Maya explained, with just a tinge of bitterness in her tone._

 _"_ _Wait…what?"_

 _Lucas was confused._

 _He was sure that she had been crying because the fight with their group of friends had been hard on her, too. He thought that her sadness was because she thought that everything around her was falling apart._

 _"_ _Ava's parents fought a lot, apparently…and he left today. The little angel is only in the first grade and she has to deal with the fact that her father is gone. And she had to listen to all of those fights with her parents," Maya cried._

 _That was when he made the connection._

 _Last year, Maya_ _'s mother had told Kermit that he was nine years too late. She was around the same age that Ava was. She had had to listen to all of the fighting-whether it was about money or a job or some other woman. She had heard it all and it had affected her._

 _"_ _Maya…are you thinking back to when your dad left?" Lucas asked softly._

 _"_ _What was your first clue?" Maya scoffed._

 _"_ _Maya," Lucas said again, pushing her away slightly to stare down at her. "Is there a possibility that you're not really mad at_ _ **me,"**_ _he suggested playfully, raising his eyebrows at her. "And that you're really mad at somebody else?" He asked her._

 _That was enough to get Maya laughing again._

 _She threw her head back and burst out laughing. A deep, hearty laugh that came from the bottom of her stomach. She meant every single chuckle that was released and it was so contagious that she got Lucas laughing right along with her._

 _"_ _You are such a Huckleberry," Maya said, punching his shoulder playfully._

 _"_ _You know…over the summer, when I took that trip to Texas? I watched this movie with Pappy Joe called_ _ **Tombstone**_ _and I learned the Huckleberry was an old term for "the man for me"," Lucas smirked at her._

 _"_ _Don't get all full of yourself," Maya rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _Kiss me," Lucas blurted out suddenly._

 _"_ _What?" Maya froze._

 _"_ _I know you're gonna make me pick Riley," Lucas told her. "I don't know when and I don't know why, but I know that you are. So, can you just let me have one more kiss with the love of my life before you send me away like some reject?"_

 _"_ _I've been texting Josh," Maya told him, the words flying out of her mouth without a second thought. "Ever since I snuck into that college party with Riley…I got his number then and we talked a little but after I went to Philadelphia with Riley and her family over the summer we've been texting non stop and-"_

 _"_ _I don't_ _ **care**_ _about some stupid crush on Josh, Maya," Lucas insisted._

 _"_ _Its not just a crush," Maya lowered her head._

 _"_ _Prove that to me. When you prove to me that what you and Josh have is more than just a crush, I'll pick Riley and I will put my whole heart into my relationship with her. I'll do my best to forget about my feelings for you and I'll fall in love with her," Lucas vowed._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Well, if you love Josh than you don't love me and that must mean that I'm capable of loving somebody other than you," Lucas said._

 _"_ _You don't think you love me?"_

 _"_ _That's why I don't think you love Josh. You wouldn't care how I felt about you if you loved Josh. So, prove to me that you're in love with him and I'll give up on you if that's what you want. But, until then…just give me one last kiss," He pleaded._

 _Maya flung herself back into his arms, lying on top of him with her lips pressed up against him. His arms were wrapped firmly around her waist, sliding down over her hips and back up, feeling every curve. Her hands slid from his chest, over his shoulders and down his arms._

 _It was the most passionate kiss they had had yet, and it killed Maya to know that this was their last kiss._

 _Because she was going to have to start to get serious with Josh._

 _Lucas had to pick Riley and Maya had to make sure that that happened._


	16. It's All Coming Back To Me

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 16: It's All Coming Back To Me**

 _ **A/N: So, here's the final piece of Maya's thoughts back to freshman year. This one shows the development of her relationship with Josh and how Lucas and Riley got together. The next chapter will be back to the current plot line of the story and how her memories are relating to her decision (because this wasn't COMPLETELY to stall until GMHS Part 2 comes out). I hope you guys like this, because it was really fun to write.**_

* * *

" _Maya? Is everything okay?"_

 _Joshua Matthews was concerned as soon as he saw LITTLE FERRET appear on his phone screen, lighting up his darkened bedroom with an image of the tiny blonde positioned on his back, a broad smile taking over her beautiful face and her blue eyes sparkling._

 _Riley had snapped the picture when the girls and come to visit with Cory, Topanga, Auggie and Shawn a few months ago._

 _It was a typical response from Maya. She was always jumping up onto the boy_ _'s back. She was always looking for an excuse to touch him in some way. She was always looking for a way to flirt with him in an almost annoyingly obvious way. And as much as he acted like it drove him insane, he loved every second of it._

 _This time, though, Maya had acted differently with him._

 _She had been aloof and casual. While she_ _'d made a few comments about his appearance and how she was his future wife, they were offhanded and seemed as though she were saying them to fulfill a part that she had been cast. It wasn't because she was excited at the idea of spending an entire two weeks with him, living under the same roof as him._

 _Due to her casual approach to spending time with him, the two of them had had some deep conversations. He learned more about her than he had ever dreamt of knowing and she had learned secrets he had never dared share with anybody else._

 _The only reason she had gotten onto his back was because they were having a piggy-back race at their family reunion cookout Fourth of July weekend. Cory had had Topanga as a partner. Eric had used Riley as a partner. He had been planning on giving Auggie a chance to enter, but Shawn offered to give Morgan Matthews a ride and be her partner, Amy Matthews had offered to be Auggie_ _'s partner so that all of the teams were boy-girl and one hundred percent fair (the equality coming from the fact that the oldest participate was getting the lightest partner)._

 _When Maya and Josh and won the race, Maya had refused to get down. Instead, she had thrown her arms in the air and told Josh that she thought they deserved a victory lap. So, he wrapped his arms tighter around her and took off running around the beach his father had rented for their camping reunion._

 _When he stopped, Maya ducked her head forward and snuck a quick kiss on her cheek, smirking at him as he gasped. Then, he had kissed her cheek back, causing her to blush and beam in excitement while his own smile formed on his face. That was when Riley had snapped the photo of the two of them and Josh had cherished it ever since._

 _After Maya and Riley had left to head back to New York on July fifteenth, Josh and the blonde had taken to texting one another, all day every day. He knew everything going on in her life. She knew everything going on with his life._

 _Despite all of their conversations, though, Maya only called him when there was something seriously wrong. Most of the time, Maya couldn_ _'t be bothered with speaking to the boy verbally. She preferred to text him._

 _"_ _I need…Josh, I really need you to just give me a chance. Please?" Maya said quickly, skipping over the casualties that she had always demanded on having whenever they actually did talk on the phone. She wasn't typically one to be straight to the point._

 _"_ _Maya…we talked about this before. You're three years younger than me. One day, that's going to be okay. That day is going to come so soon because you've been maturing into such an amazing young woman. But….not now, okay? Not when I'm still in Philadelphia and you're in New York. The distance just makes it that much harder. Next year, okay? Next year, when we're together and-"_

 _"_ _Josh, don't you get it?" Maya cut him off, her tone curt and lacking any and all emotion, shocking Josh with how abrupt she was acting. I_

 _"_ _What?" he frowned, moving the phone away from his ear slightly and looking at in in confusion, wondering what it could possibly be that she meant._

 _He had heard her loud and clear, begging for a chance to be in a relationship with him. What did she think that he had possibly missed?_

 _"_ _I can't just sit around and wait for you, Josh," Maya whispered. "If I sit around and wait for you…well, if I just sit around and wait, there will never be an_ _ **us**_ _because Lucas isn't going to give up," Maya sighed._

 _"_ _Oh yeah…speaking of Lucas-I thought you were into him? How's all that going?"_

 _"_ _Aren't you_ _ **listening?"**_ _Maya groaned. "Things are going awful because he won't_ _ **listen**_ _to me! I need him to pick Riley because if he doesn't pick Riley then I'm going to lose her forever. Because even if Lucas and I start dating and Riley doesn't hate me because he picked me…she's going to hate me when they figure out that they suck as friends because they don't know how to fight with one another and I don't pick Riley's side!" Maya ranted._

 _"_ _What's going on?" Josh asked. "I need you to slow down, back up and explain everything to me, right now. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on," Josh whispered._

 _And so Maya told him._

 _She told him all about the first two days of high school. She told him about the seniors and the hole and the freshman song. She told him about Marley and Cory_ _'s inability to teach them anymore. She told him about Ava and her parents. She told him about Lucas and Riley's fight. She told him about cheerleading and her insecurities about her height. She told him about her conversations with Lucas over the past two days and the deal she had made with him._

 _"_ _You're going to try out for the cheerleading team? You want to be a cheerleader?" Josh snickered._

 _"_ _That's what you got out of this?" Maya rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _I'm sorry…it's just…I never would have pictured you as a cheerleader," he laughed._

 _"_ _Shut up," Maya ordered. "Can you focus on the reason that I actually called you?"_

 _"_ _Because you want to beg me to date you?" He snickered again and she could imagine him raising an eyebrow as he spoke, taunting her even though she couldn't physically see him._

 _She knew him well enough to predict his every action. To know what he was doing at the drop of a hat. She knew what he looked like when he said something based off of his tone alone. When people tried to question her feelings for him on the grounds that she didn_ _'t know him, they were ridiculously wrong because she knew him better than anybody else._

 _Nobody knew Joshua Matthews as well as Maya Hart did and Maya didn_ _'t know anybody as well as she knew Josh-with the exceptions of Riley and Lucas._

 _"_ _Josh, come on….just…please? Just give me a chance?" Maya pleaded._

 _"_ _Listen," Josh sighed. "How about I come to New York this weekend and we hang out a bit? We haven't ever done that, not really, at least. We'll spend some time just you and me and we'll see how this goes, okay?" he offered._

 _"_ _Josh, I don't have-wait…what?"_

 _"_ _I'm coming to New York as soon as I get out of school on Friday and I'm taking you on a date. So you better tell your little boyfriend that he's gonna have to give you up for a night."_

 _He hung up after that and Maya sat there, trying to figure out what he had meant._

 _And then it hit her._

 _She had told Lucas to call her his girlfriend. Technically, she and Riley were both dating Lucas. Neither one of them should go running around with other guys. Not on dates, at least._

 _Yet, Maya was going to be going out with Joshua Matthews that Friday night and she wouldn_ _'t change that for the world._

 _In fact, as soon as she was able to fully comprehend his words, she fell backwards onto her bed with an excited squeal, kicking her legs in the air excitedly._

 _"_ _Maya?"_

 _The door to her room opened and shut quietly and she tried to put herself back together quickly, to hide her excitement._

 _"_ _Yeah?"_

 _"_ _What's going on? Who were you on the phone with?"_

 _"_ _I…uh….I called Josh," she admitted, biting down on her lower lip._

 _"_ _Josh Matthews? Why?"_

 _"_ _Because….well….he and I are going on a date on Friday," She admitted, refusing to look over at Lucas Friar, because she knew exactly how he would react to that news._

 _"_ _You're…you're going on a date with Josh?"_

 _"_ _Yeah…"She lowered her head._

 _"_ _So, I make this deal with you that if you and Josh get serious, I'll do what you want and date Riley. As soon as you have a second alone after that you call him up and…what? Beg him to date you?" Lucas asked her, an angry chuckle being released._

 _Maya didn_ _'t say anything. She just continued to stare at the ground._

 _Her lack of an answer, however, was more than enough for Lucas._

 _"_ _I don't get you, Maya," Lucas shook his head, starting to pace around her room. "I'm in_ _ **love**_ _with you and I know that you love me, too! Why are you so adamant about me being with Riley? I want_ _ **you,"**_ _Lucas insisted._

 _Maya continued to remain silent. She wasn_ _'t sure what she could say, because he was right. She knew that he loved her and she was pretty sure she was in love with him, too. Yet, there she was, pushing him to be with Riley, just because she was afraid._

 _And it wasn_ _'t complete fear of losing Riley._

 _It was her fear of being alone-of being left. She was terrified of what would happen if she gave in and acted on her feelings, because picking Lucas would mean giving him the power to break her heart and she wasn_ _'t capable of trusting him not to break it. It was absolutely impossible for her, after all that she had been through, to give into her feelings and allow herself to be happy, because there was always a risk that she would lose that happiness later on._

 _Before she could be with Lucas, she had to learn how to be happy for herself. Being happy because she had Lucas meant that he had the power to take her happiness away. So, she needed to learn to live on her own before she agreed to be with him and settled down._

 _"_ _Why are you doing this, Maya? Why can't you just be happy and let me love you?"_

 _"_ _Lucas…I need until the end of the week, okay? Just give me a little bit longer to think about everything and I'll….I'll talk to Riley about it, okay? But I need a few more days," She pleaded, finally looking up at him._

 _When he saw the tears filling up her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes, he knew that he had to give her what she asked for._

 _Maybe he was angry with her for the way she was acting, but he loved her all the same. And this entire mess was clearly tearing her apart._

 _He knew there was a different reason for her confusion. She wasn_ _'t just worried about the fact that Riley would walk out of her life and leave her alone forever. There was something deeper there, and Lucas wanted to know what it was._

 _But, he couldn_ _'t push her. He_ _ **wouldn't**_ _push her._

 _It wasn_ _'t right and it wasn't fair and he just wouldn't do it, because she was broken enough already._

* * *

" _How about we live our lives? You live your life. I'll live my life knowing you're out there. To someday. I promise."_

 _The words hit Maya like crashing into a brick wall._

 _It wasn_ _'t the rejection from the boy that made her so upset. It wasn't the fact that he just wasn't ready for her and it wasn't because it was so familiar to the two, identical yearbook quotes she had found in an old eighth grade yearbook at Riley's house._

 _The reason that the words hurt her so much was because it meant that everything she had planned was ruined._

 _There was no reason for Josh to be there, in New York, with Maya, if he didn_ _'t want to date her. Her deal with Lucas was null and void if she didn't have a relationship with Josh._

 _And after all of the drama that had gone down during the second half of the week, she wasn_ _'t even sure if Lucas_ _ **was**_ _an option for her anymore._

 _Those seniors had torn her apart._

 _They had torn the entire love triangle apart._

 _All that Maya had left was Josh, or she was going to have to give up on hope completely. She would have to admit that her seventh grade self had been right when she had so helplessly told Riley that hope was for suckers._

 _If she went from having two incredible boys-boys so amazing that it was seemingly impossible to pick between them-and a best friend who just wanted the happiness for everybody involved, to having a selfishly bitter best friend who voiced her jealousy at everything the blonde did and no potential love interests, it meant that she could never in a million years believe in hope ever again._

 _"_ _Josh…that's just the thing," She whispered, keeping her head tucked low. "What you're asking me to do? It's not fair to me, because you want me to remain an option at all times. How am I ever going to try to find somebody else if you can just turn around and tell me at any given moment that you want to be with me?" Maya asked him, finally looking up at him when she was able to control her emotions._

 _Her eyes were void of any emotion and the tears were long gone from the blue orbs. Her mouth was a small, slightly sad smile, but her voice was even and full of confidence._

 _She was done playing the victim._

 _It was her life and she was going to live it. She was done living for Riley_ _'s happiness or Josh's insecurities or Lucas's feelings. It was time for her to take control of her own life._

 _"_ _What are you saying?"_

 _"_ _I'm saying that you pick me right now," Maya told him, locking her blue eyes onto his brown ones. "Or you walk out of my life right now and know that you are nothing more than Riley's uncle to me from this point forward."_

 _"_ _You're giving me an ultimatum?" Josh asked, an amused smile on his face as he cocked an eyebrow at her._

 _"_ _I don't see it as an ultimatum. I see it as me declaring what I want. I'm not going to sit around until Riley moves on from Lucas so that he and I can safely be together. And I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to decide that I'm worth facing all of the challenges for. All that it does it tear me down inside and make me feel worthless. And I'm not worthless, Joshua Matthews," Maya explained, keeping her head held high._

 _"_ _Me or Lucas," Josh said. "Right now, if there were no complications…which one would you pick? Me or Lucas?" Josh asked._

 _Maya didn_ _'t say anything. She just stared at him with a hateful look, shocked that he would even ask her such a question._

 _"_ _Okay…okay….I'll start with something a little bit easier," Josh said, flashing her a reassuring smile._

 _"_ _Huh?"_

 _"_ _Shawn or Kermit?"_

 _"_ _Shawn."_

 _"_ _Art or math?"_

 _"_ _Art."_

 _"_ _Music or science?"_

 _"_ _Music."_

 _"_ _Homework or artwork?"_

 _"_ _Artwork."_

 _"_ _Lucas or Riley?"  
"Riley."_

 _"_ _Me or Lucas?"_

 _"_ _You."_

 _The word left her mouth and then Josh was leaning across the table, not caring that they were in public, and pressing his soft lips up against her thick, glossy ones._

 _It was a simple kiss. It was light and soft and sweet. It was gentle. Just a peck, really._

 _But it was more than enough for Riley to feel a million sparks explode from the mere contact, and she knew that she had made the right choice. If there had been any ounce of doubt in her mind before, it was gone as soon as he kissed her._

 _He backed away, dropping down into his seat once again._

 _"_ _That's all I needed to hear," Josh smirked._

 _"_ _What?" Maya's jaw dropped as she finally allowed her shock to show._

 _"_ _You called me and told me you had to be my girlfriend because it was the only way Lucas would pick Riley. You wanted me now to just because you wanted somebody to pick you immediately and not make you wait. I needed to hear that you wanted to be my girlfriend because you wanted to be with me," He explained._

 _"_ _So…I'm your girlfriend?" Maya asked, biting back a smile._

 _"_ _Nope," Josh shook his head, picking up the check and opening the little black book, studying the receipt._

 _"_ _No?"_

 _"_ _Nope," He shook his head once again, putting some money into the folder. "Because a girl like you?" He looked up at her._

 _Maya just stared at him waiting for him to continue. To explain himself. To tell her what on earth he possibly could mean. He wasn_ _'t the type of guy to just kiss a girl for no good reason._

 _"_ _A girl like you, Maya Hart, deserves to be courted and asked out in the most incredible way," He snapped the book shut._

* * *

" _You're dating Josh Matthews?"_

 _Lucas fired the words out as soon as Maya walked back into her bedroom that Friday night, snapping her out of her love struck daze._

 _"_ _What? No, I'm not," Maya said honestly._

 _"_ _You were on a date with him! You got back late!"_

 _"_ _So?"_

 _"_ _You don't have to lie to me. I pushed you into dating him," Lucas told her, anger fading as regret took over._

 _"_ _Lucas, I promise you that Josh and I aren't dating….yet," Maya said, unable to contain herself or the smile that took over her face._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _He wants to court me," She giggled as she said the silly word._

 _"_ _Court you?" Lucas scoffed. "He's trying to be all Southern and cowboy like. He's trying to act like-"_

 _"_ _Like you?" Maya snapped, angry with the way Lucas was insulting Josh. "You think that he wants to be like you just because he wants to treat me like a princess? Just because he thinks I deserve that?" She asked him._

 _"_ _Have fun with Josh," Lucas rolled his eyes._

 _That was the first and only night that Lucas stormed out of Maya_ _'s room, leaving through the front door, rather than the window, and never came back._

 _That was the night of the closest thing that Maya and Lucas had had to a fight._

* * *

" _Josh and I are almost completely official," Maya said cheerfully as she climbed in through the bay window Saturday morning._

 _"_ _Oh my god, really? That means you're over Lucas? The triangle is over?" Riley gasped, shooting forward in her bed._

 _She was suddenly completely aware, even though she had been snuggled up into her bed when Maya had first gotten to the Bay Window and started to climb through. The prospect of her being able to have Lucas to herself, without Maya as an obstacle, was enough to wake her up and perk her right up._

 _"_ _Lucas is all yours," Maya said, a bright and sincere smile stretching across her face._

 _Because who needed Lucas when she had Josh?_

 _Josh, an amazing guy who had sent her three dozen wildflowers (her favorite)-one for every year that he known her. It had confused her a little, since she had met him briefly a few times before seventh grade, but she figured that he had ben counting how long he had_ _ **really**_ _known her._

 _Josh, the amazing boy who had called her after their date and left her the cutest goodnight message when she had failed to answer, too miserable over her fight with Lucas._

 _Josh, the amazing guy who had called her while she was sleeping to leave her a good morning voice mail as well, telling her all about how he missed her already and thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world._

 _Lucas just wasn_ _'t important to Maya anymore, because she had Josh and he was going above and beyond to try to impress her. Even though she would have jumped at the chance to date him, without all of the sweet gestures, he was proving that he was worth it. And she sort of loved it, because she had never been treated like that before._

 _"_ _Riley!"_

 _The door to her bedroom opened and the devil himself came walking into the room, bright smile on his face._

 _"_ _I need an amazing idea for a date with-Maya! You're here!"_

 _Joshua Matthews grinned when he saw the blonde sitting at the bay window, taking in the beautiful girl in the room with him._

 _"_ _Yeah," She blushed, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear._

 _"_ _Well, I was gonna ask Riley to give me some sort of amazing plan for a date with you, but how about you and I go and get some breakfast?" He asked, flashing her a bright smile._

 _"_ _A breakfast date?" Maya chirped happily._

 _"_ _If that's okay with you?"_

 _"_ _That sounds_ _ **amazing,"**_ _she beamed._

* * *

 _The following Monday at school, two days later, Maya walked into Abigail Adams High School with Riley at her side._

 _It was the same as they had always done, with the two of them taking the subway to school and entering side by side, like the best friends that they were._

 _Everything seemed to be back to the happy and cheerful state things had been at the beginning the week before, with Maya and Riley the best of friends, leading a group of amazing people. Their group was the definition of friendship goals and everybody knew that there was no coming between them, because they lived for their friendship._

 _Yet, something was different on that particular Monday and even Maya was aware of it._

 _Riley, cheerfully and happily, skipped through the hallways until she found Lucas Friar._

 _Throwing her arms around him cheerfully, covering up his eyes since she had snuck up behind him, she chirped brightly:_ _"Guess who?"_

 _"_ _Riley," Lucas turned around, flashing her a bright smile._

 _As her hands were removed from his eyes, there was no more contact between them. It seemed like they were their usual, awkward selves._

 _And then Lucas saw Maya watching the two and he smirked, leaning down and kissing Riley softly on the lips, before swinging an arm around the brunette._

 _Riley_ _'s eyes grew wide and then an excited, awkward, too-large smile took over her entire face as she looked up at Lucas as though he were the most incredible thing in the world._

 _Maya just stood there, watching the two of them with a blank expression on her face, while Lucas stared directly at Maya with harsh, narrowed eyes._

 _"_ _So…y'all done with this whole triangle thing?" Zay asked, breaking the tension between the three former members of the triangle._

 _"_ _Yup," Maya said, pulling her backpack strap higher up on her shoulder, eyes still locked on the couple standing in front of her._

 _"_ _And Lucas is dating_ _ **Riley?"**_ _Zay asked, staring between the couple and Maya with confusion written all over this face._

 _"_ _Yup," Maya said bluntly, plastering a smile on her face._

 _A fake, stretched out smile. Not because she was jealous that Lucas and Riley were dating, but because she didn_ _'t like him rubbing the relationship in her face. She didn't like the fact that he was doing all of this to get back at Maya for being with Josh, even though, in a way, she had urged him to do so._

 _She had thought this was what she wanted, but now that it was all happening before it, it all seemed wrong. It all seemed fake. It seemed artificial and forced._

 _Riley deserved better than a relationship with Lucas solely because he wanted to move on from Maya. She deserved better than Lucas agreeing to date her just because Maya had made him promise that if she got Josh, he would be with Riley._

 _Maya deserved better than to be forced to watch Lucas act as though the awkwardness between him and Riley didn_ _'t exist. She deserved better than being forced to watch Lucas rub his relationship in her face, flaunting Riley as though he truly loved her when Maya knew that he would prefer to be with the blonde._

 _Lucas deserved better than to have to fake his feelings. He deserved better than to be forced into a relationship he didn't want. It was unfair to him to make him the bad guy just because Maya didn_ _'t want to have to pick. Just because Riley would never forgive Maya for getting Lucas. Lucas had been forced into this mess and the girls had forced him into a decision, with no regard for his feelings and he deserved better than that._

 _Even Josh deserved better, because he shouldn_ _'t have to be with a girl who had decided what she wanted based off of a kiss. Josh deserved a girl who never gave it a second thought._

 _Yet, this was what their lives were now and this was what they were stuck with. They were all just going to have to make the best out of it all._

* * *

 _It was the beginning of October when it became official._

 _Maya opened the door to her apartment, shocked to find a trail of long-stemmed, thornless roses leading her to the elevator. She followed after them, picking each one up as she walked and holding onto the flowers tightly. When she reached the elevator, she hit the button to call it up, attempting to fix her appearance in her reflection._

 _After all, she was dressed in a pair of short, blue and white plaid pajama shorts with a navy blue, v-neck tee shirt on top and a pair of fuzzy, bright yellow socks with blue polka dots. Her hair was piled onto the top of her head in a bun but curls were spiraling out and falling into her face since she had just woken up, And she had fallen asleep before removing her makeup so there were smudges of eyeliner and mascara underneath her eyes and up towards her eyebrows._

 _She looked like a hot mess and she knew that something exciting was about to happen. She was sure that photos would be taken and she looked foolish. But, it was too late to turn back and make herself look pretty._

 _The elevator doors opened and inside was a large heart, made out of her favorite chocolates with a note in the center._

 _Entering the elevator, she carefully stepped into the heart and picked up the folded note, reading it as she elevator took her to the lobby._

 _In Josh_ _'s slightly messy, boyish handwriting that always angled downwards, it read:_

 _ **maya**_ _ **  
**_ _ **i know i've pushed you aWay for a long tIme.**_

 _ **i know i've toLd you that we couLdn't work.**_

 _ **i've told You that three years was tOo long for there to be an Us.**_

 _ **But, i think it's about timE that i stopped that nonsense.**_

 _ **three years isn't that Much and evEn so-i don't care**_

 _ **you're too gorGeous, inspIring, bRilliant, taLented, Free-spiRited, compassIonate, sincEre, geNerous, and all around increDible to ignore any longer.**_

 _ **-josh**_

 _Before Maya could think too much into what was written on the note, the elevator doors opened and Josh was standing there with a large sign with two boxes on it and a word written after year box._

 _Walking out of the elevator, she glanced at the note again and her eyes grew wide when she realized the pattern within it._

" _So?" Josh asked her, waving the sign slightly. "What do you say?"_

 _"I say…I say_ _ **yes."**_


	17. A Friendly Offer

**I Write Sins. Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 17: A Friendly Offer**

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the somewhat long wait guys! I started my summer job recently and I'm babysitting on the side so life has been a little hectic. And on top of all that, my best friend is finishing up her senior year so I have to attend all of her final events which takes up the rest of my free time. So, I hope that this chapter was worth the wait!**_

* * *

Maya had forced Lucas to choose Riley, because she had been terrified of what it would mean for her friendship if she had allowed him to pick whoever he wanted. She had played dumb, tricking even herself into believing that she had no clue that Lucas would pick otherwise. She had deluded herself into thinking that Lucas's feelings for Riley were true-that she honestly loved her and couldn't think less about the blonde.

It was because of her that Riley had been in a relationship that was completely one sided. Riley hadn't known that Lucas wasn't sincere. She had believed that he loved her and wanted her. She had thought that they would be together forever-the next Cory and Topanga. Maya had allowed her best friend to believe that and she had made it that much harder for her when the truth had been revealed to everyone.

Josh hadn't been allowed to deal with his feelings in his own way either. He had been pushed into a relationship with Maya, and while he really did love her, it wasn't fair to him to believe that Maya was completely over Lucas when the relationship started. He had gone into it believing that the age difference was the only obstacle they would have to overcome. There was no reason for him to believe that Lucas would stand in their way.

Even Farkle was affected by Maya's choices. She had pushed Riley towards Lucas, forcing the pair together. Riley never got to explore her feelings for Farkle or even test the waters to see if they existed. She had never been able to wonder about Farkle's feelings for her. And Farkle had found Smackle, forcing his attraction for her to become something more out of fear of being alone.

Which meant that Smackle was suffering as well, because she was changing who she was and letting down all of her walls for a boy who was in love with another girl. For a boy who didn't even realize that, while he loved Smackle, he would always have a soft spot for Riley that would cause the other brunette to be put before the girl who was supposed to be his number one priority. That would only crush Smackle's already nonexistent ego.

Zay, the only one who didn't have his heart on the line because of the mess Maya had created, was affected as well. He had to watch his best friend break his own heart everyday and he had to watch the girl who was like his sister lie to herself on a daily basis. He had to watch his other two best friends dance around their own feelings in discomfort and he had to watch Smackle suffer. He had to keep the secrets.

And it wasn't even fair to Maya. She had done all of this and caused all of this drama, but she was suffering as well. Not only was she guilty, but she was overcome by emotions that she was never allowed to fully think about. She couldn't figure out what she wanted or what was the best option because she was too involved. And she had only made it worse for herself, because another wrong decision would mean more pain for her friends.

There wasn't even a good reason for why she had done it. No part of her had been convinced that what she had been doing was the right choice. She hadn't thought about it and there wasn't any planning to the decisions that she had made the year before. Every choice had been made completely spur of the moment.

If she had given it any consideration, she would have realized that Farkle loved Riley and needed a chance to come to terms with his feelings. She would have realized that Riley loved Farkle as well, deep down, and deserved a chance to realize that. It was only fair to Riley and Farkle that they be given a fair chance at happiness.

Thinking about her actions would have meant that she would have realized how hard it would have been for Lucas to get over her, let alone act as though he was content to date her best friend and watch Maya involve herself in a new relationship. And she would have known how hard it was to Josh to put his fears aside to be with her.

Being honest would have fixed everything. All she had to do was tell the truth and let everybody know how she really felt.

Honesty would have been scary and it would have been hard. She would have had to tell Riley that Lucas and her had kissed multiple times and that they both had strong feelings for one another. It would have meant telling Josh that she loved him, but also loved Lucas. And Lucas would have had to hear the same.

She would have had to end the triangle consisting of herself, Lucas and Riley, and replace it with a triangle that was made up of herself, Josh and Lucas.

Ending one triangle would have resulted in the creation of another triangle. And the new triangle would have put Maya as a center point, forcing her to make a decision.

Which was how she knew that she had been selfish in her actions. Her decision to do things the way that she had came from a selfish place. Rather than putting herself into Lucas's shoes, she had left him in the hard position he had been stuck in for months. She had depended on him to end things with his decision.

But, she had been even harder on him by denying him the right to actually choose between the girls. She had made it impossible for him to pick Maya.

When Maya decided that it was time for the love triangle to end, she had decided that it had to end the same way that it had begun-with Maya obsessing over Josh and Riley with Lucas, living her happily ever after.

That way, everybody had somebody.

Riley had Lucas and Farkle had Smackle and Josh had Maya. Everybody had somebody to be with, and everybody would be happy.

The problem was…nobody had the person that they really wanted. They were all stuck to watch the person that they wanted be with somebody else and try to fake their way to happiness with that person.

After all, Zay wanted Smackle who wanted Farkle. Farkle wanted Riley, but she wanted Lucas. Unfortunately, Lucas wanted Maya, who was also wanted by Josh. And Maya? She had no idea what she really wanted.

All that Maya knew for sure was that she wanted _Riley._ She wanted her friendship. If there was one relationship that had to remain solid with a strong foundation through the entire mess of the triangles, it was Maya and Riley.

So, Maya had done what she had thought she had to do.

And, as much as she hated herself for it when shit hit the fan?

Well….she couldn't say that she regretted it.

No….Maya would never take back what she had done for love.

* * *

"Can you come over?"

"What for?"

"I made my decision…about this whole triangle thing?"

"And?"

"I want you to be the first to know."

"Is it good or bad?"

"Just come over, okay?"

"When?"

"Fifteen minutes?"

"I'm on my way."

* * *

"Come over in fifteen minutes?"

"Why?"

"Just…do it?"

"I don't understand why I have to-"

"Seriously…it's really important."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine….I just need to talk to you."

"I'm worried about you…."

"Just come over in fifteen minutes, okay?"

"I'll be there in ten."

* * *

"I need you to come over as soon as possible."

"Is everything okay?"

"No…but it's going to be, soon."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Things are a mess right now. But they're getting fixed within the hour."  
"…..what are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about it."  
"I always worry!"

"Listen, will you come over or not?"

"I was on my way as soon as you called."

* * *

"What's _he_ doing here?"

Lucas Friar's face was full of disdain and distaste when he entered Maya's bedroom and found the blonde sitting in the turret with Riley and Joshua Matthews.

"I thought you wanted me to be the first to know?" Josh narrowed his eyes, turning to stare at Maya with accusation written all over his face.

"Why would you want _him_ to know first?" Lucas asked, his face sketched into anger.

"Maya…you didn't tell them that they were both going to be here?" Riley frowned.

"Neither one of them would have come. I had to make them think I was going to pick them," Maya whispered, keeping her head ducked low. "I just keep messing up," she shook her head.

Those five words were enough to silence the other three in the room. It was enough to take the anger and annoyance away from the boys and it took the frustration from Riley. Because in those five words they could hear all of the pain that Maya felt. They could feel all of the stress that she was under. They could hear the tears beginning to well up in her beautiful blue eyes.

"What's the decision?" Riley asked, taking her best friend's hands in her own.

"My decision is…I'm not going to be with either one of you," Maya said, looking up at the boys with a sad smile on her face.

"What?" Lucas asked, jaw dropping in shock.

"What?" Josh jumped to his feet, eyes wide.

"Maya…you can't do that," Riley insisted softly. "She can't do that…can she?" She wondered, turning her attention towards the boys, scanning between the two of them.

"She can do whatever she wants," Lucas said, his voice soft and gentle.

"What the hell does that mean, Maya?" Josh asked, his voice lacking emotion.

"You both deserve better than me. I can't string you both along while I try to make up my mind only to hurt one of you in the end. That's not right and it's not fair," She said.

She lacked the usual confidence that came along with every word she said. She sounded defeated. It was as though somebody had stolen all of the spirit out of the girl and left an empty shell of who she used to be.

She was sad and heartbroken. And it broke their hearts as well.

"Maya," Lucas shook his head, crouching down in front of her. "You're _more_ than worthy of me. I'm the one who doesn't deserve a girl like _you,_ so don't say stupid things about how I deserve better than you. For me there _isn't_ anybody better than you," He insisted, placing his hand underneath her chin and lifting her face up so that her eyes were locked on his own.

"Stop acting like some sort of prince charming," Josh snapped, grabbing the back of Lucas's shirt and pulling him away from Maya.

"Josh, stop," Riley ordered.

"He caused all of this!" Josh yelled, whirling around to face Lucas, who was rising to his feet.

"How did he cause anything?" Riley asked, staring at Lucas in confusion.

"Josh thinks that I confused Maya when I told her how I felt," Lucas said, his voice dark as he spoke, eyes locked on the older boy. "What he doesn't realize is that Maya's always known how I've felt about her. She's just starting to realize that she loves me, too," He stated.

"Wait…what?" Riley frowned, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"You mean Riley didn't know? She didn't know all about your little crush on Maya ever since you saw her on the subway?" Josh smirked.

"You've….Lucas…but…what about us?" Riley asked, staring at Lucas with heartbreak written all over her face. "Was any of it ever real? And you _knew?"_ She jumped to her feet, voice raising as she stared down at Maya.

"I didn't…Riley….I-"

"Save it, Maya," Riley shook her head. "I'm not listening to you lie to me to try and cover up for the fact that you've been lying to me for years. Lucas and I dated because _you_ pushed him towards me. I was willing to admit that I chose to ignore the signs that he wanted you more than me, but you pushed him into picking me when you _knew_ that he wanted you more!" Riley's voice grew stronger with every word.

She had never yelled at Riley before. Even when she was angry with her, she had never raised her voice at Maya. She always did her best to remain as calm as possible when it came to talking to the blonde.

But this was too much. This was a real fight and it was too much for her to take in. After all that had happened over the course of the past week, she had thought everything was finally out in the open. She had thought that today would be the end of the drama.

Instead, it had only caused more chaos. Chaos that Riley was personally involved in and she didn't want to be a player in this game.

"She was afraid to tell you," Lucas said. "Don't yell at her for trying to save your friendship, Riley."

"Of course you defend her. You've always defended her over me. God, how stupid could I have been? Did you two have a nice laugh about how ignorant I was to everything?" Riley asked, laughter starting to take over.

"Riles…I wasn't trying to hurt you. I really thought that this was all for the best," Maya whispered.

"For the _best?_ The best for _who?_ Lucas wasn't happy because he wanted you and was stuck with me! I wasn't happy because my relationship wasn't real! Josh wasn't happy because he had to worry about Lucas going after you! It was like you had me holding onto Lucas for you while you had fun with Josh! Until you figured out which one of the two you really wanted!"

"Stop it," Lucas snapped. "Stop making her feel bad!"

"I've been _incredible_ about this whole mess," Riley stated. "I didn't get mad at Maya and refuse to speak to her when you broke up with me to be with her. I didn't get mad at you for lying to me all this time. I think that I've been pretty amazing through this whole mess and more than fair to the both of you," She pointed out.

"Because you're Riley," Maya stated softly. "You always look for the best in people."

"Yeah? Well…I don't know if there's enough good in you to make up for this one," Riley said, shooting Maya a disgusted look.

"You don't mean that," Maya whispered.

"Why? Because it's mean? Because it was bitchy?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah, well, that's what heartbreak and betrayal do to a person. They make them bitter," She snorted, turning on her heel and storming out of Maya's room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"She didn't mean that," Lucas said, immediately dropping down besides Maya and wrapping a comforting arm around her.

"I didn't think she'd get like that," Josh whispered, dropping down on Maya's other side. "I never wanted her to get mad at you…I never wanted to ruin your friendship with her…"He placed his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands.

"She's Riley," Maya stated. "She can only hold in so much before she snaps," She shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll fix this, Maya," Josh promised her. "I swear to god, if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to fix your friendship with her. And I get it if you want to break up with me and if you pick Lucas after what I did…because I just put the one thing that you care about the most at risk," his voice was soft.

"Josh…"Maya sighed.

"Maya, I was angry with you for refusing to pick between us. I was mad because you didn't pick me right away. I don't want to be a choice-I want to be the one for you without any doubt in your mind. And I was so mad that I couldn't be that….so I did something awful to try to make you feel bad."

"I'm the one who told Riley," Lucas whispered.

"I made it a bigger deal than it was," Josh insisted. "Pick Lucas."

"Hey," Lucas said, staring over Maya's head at the dark haired boy. "I'm not letting you give up that easily. She won't be picking me because you gave up. And this isn't a reason for her to make her decision," He said.

Maya frowned, confused by Lucas's words.

After all, he should be jumping at Josh's withdrawal from the triangle. It allowed Maya to pick Lucas without any inkling of guilt. There was no reason for him to insist that Josh stay involved and that Maya actually pick between the two boys.

"I'm giving you a chance to have her, without any interference from me," Josh said, looking up at the younger boy with a frown. "Why are you questioning that?"

"Because," Lucas said, staring down at the blonde with a smile. "If Maya's going to pick me…well, that's going to be my moment, and like I told her a long time ago…my moment? Well, it's going to be my moment," Lucas smirked.

"What does that mean?" Josh asked.

"It means," Lucas said, looking back up at the brunette boy with a confident smirk, "that it's game on."

Josh snorted, bursting out into a fit of near hysterical laughter despite the tension in the air from all that had happened so far that night. Then, looking at Lucas and realizing he was serious, he tensed up and spoke again.

"Well," Josh nodded, regaining his composure. "In that case…may the best man win."

* * *

"Farkle, I need your help," Maya whimpered into the phone.

She was sitting in her bedroom, alone, wrapped up in one of Lucas's old sweatshirts and a pair of spandex shorts with a racer back, ribbed tank top underneath. Her hair was piled up onto the top of her head and she ready for bed. But, she couldn't sleep and it wasn't because she had skipped her nightly facial routine that night.  
Instead, it was because she needed to talk to somebody.

She needed to talk to somebody who could understand what she was going through and wouldn't judge her. She wanted somebody who wouldn't give her advice. Who wouldn't just assure her that everything would be better. She needed somebody to listen to her and tell her that she had been right-somebody who could convince her that her decisions had been made because she thought that it would be the best.

And her choices were limited.

Riley was refusing to speak to her, as the endless stream of rejected calls would project to anybody staring at either of the girls's recent call lists. Lucas and Josh weren't options, because they were too involved in the entire process. And involving one of them would mean that the other one would feel rejected which would just worsen her feelings of guilt.

So, that left her with very few options.

Which explained why she was begging Farkle to talk to her. Begging him to be unbiased for once. Pleading with him not to immediately jump to Riley's defense.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

Those words destroyed any hope that Maya had had for a decent conversation with the boy who was supposed to be her best friend. He was, as always, taking Riley's side because of his feelings for her.

But, this time, it was too much for Maya to deal with. It was just what she needed to through her over the edge and send her into a blind rage.

Breaking one of the few rules that she had, she lost her cool and started to scream. Started to yell at Farkle and show her anger with him. If they had been face-to-face with one another she would have grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him. Because she was sick of his actions and she wanted to make sure that he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Why didn't _you_ tell her that Lucas was in love with me?" Maya snapped.

"What are you talking about? How was I supposed to know that?"

"Isn't it funny," Maya began, sarcasm dripping from every word, "how you were able to figure out that I liked Lucas in Texas just because of the way I acted? That you were able to figure out that Riley still liked Lucas despite her protesting just because of the way she _looked?"_ Maya asked, a bitter smirk resting on her face as she spoke.

"I knew that because you guys are my best friends!"  
"And what, pray tell, is Lucas to you?"

"He's my best friend," the answer came without a second thought, immediately coming from the robotic like teenage boy.

"He _is?"_ Maya asked with fake shock. "Then why couldn't you figure out how _he_ really felt about Riley and me?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow even though he couldn't see it.

"Because he liked _Riley!_ God, Maya…sometimes you're just so selfish that you don't even see what you're doing to people," Farkle said, the disgust and disappointment evident from his tone of voice alone.

Maya froze, eyes widening and jaw dropping. She was in shock from the accusation made by Farkle, who had always been the sweetest human being in the world. Sure, he had put Riley ahead of Maya and their other friends countless times before, but he had never been outright cruel to Maya before.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maya asked, voice lacking any and all emotion.

"What do you think it means? It means that Lucas picked Riley after he met her on the subway and you did everything in your power to make sure that he changed his mind," Farkle accused her.

"Are you implying that I _seduced_ him? That I _tricked_ him into liking me?"

"It doesn't even matter about what Lucas felt, Maya! You didn't tell her what you knew and in the end she got hurt. That's not how friends act," Farkle insisted.

"You're just looking for excuses to get mad at me!"

"Because this is all your fault!"

"Why id Riley so much more important to you than any of your other friends? God, you know…you were always my best friend and I'd do anything to protect you, but you don't seem to have the same respect for me. So, don't bother talking to me. Ever again," Maya said, the words hollow as she said them.

But, despite her lack of emotion, she meant them fully and she knew that Farkle knew that she had meant them as well.

She never got to hear his reply, because she hung up as soon as she finished her statement. She was done with him and she was done listening to him try to make a case against her. She hadn't done anything wrong to purposefully cause Riley pain. She had been in a messy situation and she had been forced try to deal with it as best as she could.

God, couldn't anybody give her a break and realize that she had only been fourteen when all of this had started?

She had been a little girl, unsure of even her own feelings. Yet she had been giving the responsibility of dealing with the feelings of not only herself, but all of her friends. Riley's feelings for Lucas had been put on her and she had been forced with the burden of Lucas's feelings for the blonde. She had been had to deal with Farkle's feelings for Riley. She had to deal with everybody's feelings all of the time and she barely even had time to figure out what her own meant.

Josh had made things simple.

She had feelings for Josh, regardless of what they were. She acted on them and she was allowed to forget abut her feelings for Lucas. She _had_ to forget about her feelings for Lucas. That left Lucas to only worry about his feelings for Riley, because he couldn't have feelings for Maya when she was with somebody else.

It only hurt Farkle, because he had to get rid of his feelings for Riley, but he had been with Smackle for months before Maya made all of her decisions.

Everything she had done had been _right._ She had made all of the right decisions. Nobody was supposed to have gotten hurt because of what she had done. That had not been the plan and that hadn't been the intentions.

Now, everything was a hot mess and she didn't know how she was supposed to handle it. She shouldn't even have to deal with all of it, but she did and it wasn't fair and she hated it. She was sick of having to deal with everybody else's problems and put everybody else's feelings before her own or risk being called selfish.

Things had finally gotten to the point where they were too much for her to handle.

She broke down, rolling up into a ball on her bed and allowing the tears to fall from her blue eyes, accepting the fact that she had to cry on her own while everybody else had some sort of a support system.

"What in the _hell_ is going on with all of-Maya?"

Maya couldn't even move as she heard the slightly high-pitched, constantly excited sounding male voice fill up her bedroom. She knew that he had just crawled through her window and she silently cursed herself for failing to lock the window before admitting defeat, but she didn't have the mentally capacity or strength to care all that much about somebody seeing her at her lowest point.

"What's wrong with you? You don't cry…you're Maya Hart-the strongest girl that I've ever met," Zay insisted, his voice immediately softening.

She could feel his weight added to the mattress as he sat down on the edge of the bed besides her. His arms immediately wrapped around her, pulling her up into a sitting position and then lowering himself down onto his lap, holding her tightly to offer her some sort of support.

"Riley hates me," Maya sobbed, burying her face in Zay's chest.

The two had always been close, but never close enough for Maya to go to crying. He wasn't the friend that Maya told everything to. She didn't go to him with her problems. But, they were close and they had a special type of friendship. And they had had plenty of heart to heart conversations with one another since his arrival in New York.

"Riley doesn't hate-"

"She found out that I knew Lucas wanted to pick me from the beginning."

"Oh…."She could picture the wincing face that he was making, even though she couldn't see his face. "Well, regardless? She doesn't hate you. She's just upset. Give her some time."

"Farkle hates me," Maya whimpered.

"Farkle doesn't hate you either," Zay insisted. "Nobody hates you. You're too incredible for anybody to hate," He informed her.

"I hurt hurt everybody," Maya whined.

"What is with the pity party?" Zay asked, forcing her to sit upright and staring into her eyes. "This is not the Maya Hart that Lucas described to me years ago and it's not the girl who became my best friend over the course of this last few years. I want that fierce Amazon Warrior back right this second!" Zay demanded, a serious expression on his face but his eyes sparkling with the desire to laugh.

"Zay…what am I supposed to do about all of this?"

"You're going to figure out how you feel. For once in your life, you're going to put yourself before Riley. You're going to figure out if you want Josh or if you want Lucas. That's the priority right now," Zay told her.

"But…she'll never-"

"I will talk to Riley. She's not angry at you. Not really. She's just been feeling so guilty about everything that knowing this whole mess could have been prevented is like a safe haven to her. She doesn't have to feel guilty anymore because of it," he explained.

"And Farkle-"

"I'll talk to him," Zay said.

"But-"

"Maya, I'll talk to him."  
'What are you-"

"I'm going to go to his incredible house and march straight up to his bad ass room and I'm going to kick his brilliant ass for making you cry," Zay explained, flashing Maya a goofy grin.

Maya giggled at that.

Zay was never one to resort to violence. That was Lucas.

Instead, Zay always tried to use humor to lighten the tensions of the group. Because of his ability to get anybody laughing, he didn't need a better strategy. He didn't need some violent and aggressive to end a feud. All he needed was that goofy grin and a couple of witty one liners.

Yet, Maya had seen times when more aggressive and angry sides of him started to show. His violent temperament was well hidden a majority of the time, but every now and then he wasn't able to keep it a well hidden secret.

Never before, though, had it actually come out.

He had always been able to suppress it before. Keep it down low so that nobody knew about that side of him.

And despite his smile at the moment, Maya could tell by looking into his eyes that he meant his threat. He was going to go after Farkle for hurting her and he didn't see a problem with that.

He thought that was the way to go and that was what he was going to do.

Maya giggled, not because she was grateful for the offer. Not because she wanted him to do it. Not because she thought it was right for him to hurt Farkle. She giggled because it was the sweetest thing that somebody had said to her all day.


	18. Everybody Hurts

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 18: Everybody Hurts **

_**A/N: I actually had a lot of fun writing the Riley and Topanga scene despite my internal debate when I started writing that part. I was convinced I wouldn't do it justice and that it was a stupid idea. But, I'm kind of in love with the way it turned out. Maybe I'm biased, though. Let me know what you guys think of the side characters's methods of coping with their part in the story. And what you think of Josh's college friends, because that was a last minute decision when I realized I had nobody to honestly use for his friends from the series, since all the college kids they've shown already are at least two years older than Josh.**_

* * *

"What is wrong with you?"

Zay came barging into Farkle's bedroom with a hostile expression written across his face. Typically, when he entered Farkle's room, he was speechless. He never failed to be amazed by the fact that Farkle's bedroom seemed to be an endless abyss of surprises. Every time he entered, he seemed to find something new in the room.

Farkle, who had been seated at his oversized desk, hunched over a chemistry book as he took notes on the chapter they'd be working on all week, barely looked up at his friend to notice the anger evident in his eyes. He had homework to do and he had allowed a phone call with Maya and a FaceTime session with Riley to put him behind his usual schedule. Rather than being done with the chapter they had just started in class that day, he was only three units into the chapter.

He just didn't have the time to worry about Zay's late night cravings. The Texan knew where everything was located in Farkle's bedroom, as well as in his entire house, despite the fact that his first time there had only been a few days ago. He didn't need Farkle to advise him for anything.

Even hearing the words that had been released with a strong heavy accent didn't mean anything to Farkle, because Zay was probably just amazed that Farkle was sitting at his desk doing homework at ten o'clock at night rather than watching some sports game on TV or playing video games or some other activity that Zay would find appropriate for a soon to be sixteen year old male.

It was typical of Zay to insult Farkle upon entering his room to help himself to an extra large ice cream cone, some popcorn with chocolate mixed in, or a pizza with more toppings than what could possibly taste good.

"I _said,"_ Zay's voice was right behind Farkle now, which caused him to momentarily pause from his work, only to go right back to writing after a quick shake of his head. "What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?"

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands were latched onto Farkle's shoulders and the lanky boy was pulled out of his oversized desk chair and throwing him onto the floor. Then, Zay's entire weight was on top of him with his hands locked on Farkle's forearms to stop the nerdy boy from rising to his feet.

"What's wrong with _you?"_ Farkle gasped, shocked by Zay's actions.

"How could you call Maya and tell her that she deserved that from Riley? How could you take Riley's side when Maya called you crying? Why can't you ever just help Maya through a crisis?" Zay snapped.

"Because everybody _else_ focuses on Maya's feelings!"

"If Riley had called me and said she needed me to come over and talk to her because she and Maya got into a fight and she was crying, I would have dropped everything in a second to get to that Bay Window and listen to that girl's problems," Zay said, eyes narrowed.

"And what if Maya was just as torn up?"

"Riley has her family, you realize that, right? Maya doesn't have many people, to support her, but Riley's got a house full of people around her at all times!" Zay barked, ignoring the question asked by the weaker boy.

"Maya hasn't had that issue since middle school! Shawn and her mom got married almost a year ago!"

"Shawn's not her father and a part of her is always going to think that Shawn's loyalties are to Riley because of his friendship with Cory. Her mother works for Riley's mom! She needs to be able to go to her friends for something like this!" Zay said.

Then, something in him changed. The anger faded and he just looked disgusted. He rose to his feet, shaking his head as he stared down at the boy. His eyes were full of resent, and Farkle knew that the friendship the seven teenagers had had for so long was being put to the ultimate test. It was finally time for them all to decide-Maya or Riley.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Farkle asked, eyes narrowed.

"Is that what you think? Do you really think that guys could only pick Maya because they're in love with her?" Zay asked, staring at Farkle in shock, mixed in with his disgust.

"Of course," Farkle shrugged, still lying on the ground.

"Yeah, well, coming from a guy who's in love with Riley, that shouldn't be a surprise to me," Zay rolled his eyes, the words coming out before he was able to put together what he was saying in his mind.

Once they were in the air, though, Zay heard the words in a sentence and understood what he had just accused Farkle of. He hadn't even known he had thought it until the accusation had been made, but once it was out there, there was no taking it back. So, the boys just stared at one another, daring the other one to speak first.

"Yeah, okay….so I'm in love with Riley? Doesn't change anything," Farkle muttered, slowly climbing to his feet.

That was his first mistake.

Because before Farkle could even rise to his full height, Zay had him pinned up against the wall and his fist had connected with his face, slamming right into the cleft between his upper lip and his nose, causing blood to splatter as his nose flattened on contact and his bottom lip split open. The blood meant nothing, though, as Zay brought his fist back and slammed it it again, knocking Farkle's head back against the wall behind him as his fist connected with Farkle's cheek.

"You _ass,"_ Zay screamed, not caring about the attention that could be brought to him because of the chaos he was causing. "You lying, no good, cheating _ass,"_ he shoved Farkle onto the ground, falling with him and getting in another punch, right at Farkle's left eye.

He couldn't stop hitting him.

Zay wasn't a violent person, but certain things brought him to a level beyond his control. There were a few things that made him see red and turned him into the Texas-version of Zay that was almost identical to the Texas-version of Lucas.

Only, unlike Lucas, Zay had no power to bring himself back from his temper. When his anger got the best of him, nothing was able to stop him.

"You've got this amazing girl like Isadora and you're sitting here fantasizing about _Riley?_ You've been playing with this girl's feelings for over a _year_ and you've been in love with Riley the whole time?" Zay shook his head, finally releasing his hold on Farkle and standing back up.

Farkle didn't move, fearing what would happen if he tried to fight back. He had never been afraid of anybody before, certain that Zay and Lucas would defend him if anybody tried to physically harm him. But he knew that his guard dogs were abandoning him now. If Lucas wasn't already against him, he would wash his hands of Farkle as soon as he learned the truth because the athlete had a soft spot for Isadora Smackle. And clearly Zay was fed up with Farkle's constant desire to protect Riley and her feelings, no matter the cost.

"I'm done with you, Farkle. And I think that this time, even _Maya_ is done with you. And when Lucas hears about what you've done? Well, I hope that Riley was worth all of this, because she's all you have left," Zay said, his eyes full of hate as his shook his head in disgust at the crumpled, injured boy on the ground before him.

"What? You think Smackle's gonna believe you?" Farkle asked.

He knew he should have stayed down, remaining silent, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't allow Zay to walk away thinking that he had won, because that meant that the brute had come out on top. It meant that anybody who was physically stronger would be able to get away with whatever they wanted. Farkle had to fight back with the only weapon he had-his words. His ability to verbally attack anybody who dared to mess with him. His psychoanalytical mind never failed him when it came to bringing down somebody who was bigger than him.

"I don't need her to believe me," Zay said. "I just need to put that idea in her head and she's going to sit there and overthink everything and she's going to realize it on her own. That girl's the only person in the world I know who's smarter than you. It wouldn't surprise me if a part of her already knew," He said, barely glancing over his shoulder at the defeated boy on the ground as he walked out of the room, leaving Farkle behind him.

And Farkle just laid there, finally admitting defeat.

* * *

"I'm done with Farkle," Zay said as he climbed into Lucas's pick up truck a few moments later.

"What?" Lucas laughed, not bothering to look at his friend as he pulled away from the curb, back into the traffic.

"The guy's an asshole," Zay explained casually, leaning into the backseat to grab one of Lucas's workout towels.

" _Farkle?"_ Lucas asked in amazement.

"Yeah-little nerdy guy with the shaggy hair," Zay replied, wrapping the towel around his bloody fist.

"Wait…what's going on?" Lucas asked, glancing over at his friend with confusion and concern flooding his face.

"Farkle made Maya cry," Zay said bluntly.

"What?" Lucas's fists clenched around the steering wheel and his knuckles started to turn white. "How did he do that?" He asked, taking a left onto a random street that wasn't on their way to Zay's apartment.

"She called him to ask him for help because she wanted to talk to somebody after the whole Riley blow-up," Zay explained as Lucas took another left almost immediately after the first turn he had made.

"And?" Lucas wondered, taking one more left with a blank expression on his face.

"And he flipped out on her about how she should have told the truth to Riley to begin with and that she was wrong in all of this and that Riley was the victim and how Maya doesn-where are you going?" Zay asked, looking around as Lucas took a right, turning back onto the original street they had been driving on, only in the direction back towards Farkle's apartment building.

"Back to Farkle's house," Lucas said casually, acting totally natural.

"Why?"

"Because," Lucas answered simply. "I'm a Southern gentleman and we Texans don't take very well to some fellow messing with our lady," he smirked, his Texas accent coming out strong and Zay knew that he was back into his bull-like mode.

Because, after all, this was how Lucas got when he was going to do something.

And, as much as Zay usually tried to stop him, knowing how much trouble it could cause him, this time…well, he just couldn't bring himself to make Lucas think about his actions. He didn't want to stop him and he didn't want to give Farkle a "get out of jail free" card, because, frankly? Farkle didn't deserve to walk away from this with just a few punches from Zay. He deserved every single ounce of pain either boy caused him, because he had messed with Maya.

He had chosen their weakest link-despite the blonde's every effort to appear as the strongest member of the group-and used all of her fears and insecurities against her. He had made her cry in an effort to build up and defend another member of the group.

That wasn't how their group operated. Zay wasn't going to stand by and allow Farkle to think that it was okay to hurt Maya for Riley's sake. That wasn't fair and it wasn't right.

* * *

Riley was curled up in her bay window, sipping at a hot chocolate with her mother sitting next to her, taking in everything that Riley told her about the situation that was currently unfolding around her group of friends.

"Riley…what would you have done if Maya had told you that Lucas wanted to pick her?" Topanga asked when her daughter had finished.

"Cried…gotten angry…I probably would have accused her of lying to me. We would have gotten into this awful fight….I don't know if I ever would have forgiven her," Riley admitted, twirling her hot chocolate mug around in her hands.

"That may be a little extreme," Topanga pointed out, flashing her a sincere smile. "After all, you were willing to step aside for Maya to have a chance to figure out her feelings for Lucas after everything that happened in Texas," she reminded her daughter.

"I was selfish when I did that," Riley argued.

"How?"

"I felt Maya out about it. When I realized she really did like him, I went to talk to Lucas and he fought me so hard about it. I honestly believed that he didn't want a chance with Maya. I thought he was happy with me and that made it better. It was easier to watch them together if I assumed that Lucas really wanted me," Riley explained.

"So you set Maya up for failure?" Topanga raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah…I guess I did…I just thought…she was so noble and brave. She was being such a good friend by stepping aside and letting me have my chance with Lucas despite her feelings. I wanted people to think that I was as incredible as she was. But I was so afraid that he really would pick her. When I could convince myself that he wanted me, it was easier to let go. I was able to step aside and give Maya a chance with him, and everybody would see how amazing I was. But…in the end, I'd get the guy anyways," Riley explained, lowering her head in shame.

"Riley, stop that," Topanga ordered. "Stop acting like you're some sort of selfish child. You were a thirteen year old girl when all of that stuff happened. You were barely a teenage for the bulk of those problems. You weren't prepared to deal with feelings like that, sweetheart. Nobody can blame you for what you did or how you felt," she explained kindly.

"But Maya-"

"Maya is very different from you," Topanga cut her off.

"She's better, you mean," Riley muttered.

"What on earth would make you say that?"

Topanga was shocked by her daughter's words. She had no clue where such an idea could have come from. After all, Riley had, up until recently, received better grades. Maya may be the artist, but Riley was the hard working, book smart one. Maya may be a cheerleader, but Riley had a way with words that amazed people. Neither girl was better than the other one, yet the brunette seemed to think the blonde had an advantage.

And that didn't make any sense to Topanga, because she didn't believe that either girl, especially Riley, had a reason to believe that one was better than the other.

Sure, they each had their aspects the other was jealous of, but that was natural for teenage girls. They saw the best in one another and ignored any flaws that may exist. That was how any good friendship should work.

To hear that Riley was secretly jealous of Maya and had been comparing the girls as though they were in some sort of contest astonished Topanga. She had never seen something like that coming and it made her worry for her daughter. After all, it was comparisons made to other girls that caused the most harm to any teenage girl. Topanga needed to get to the bottom of her daughter's feelings of inferiority immediately or else she was risking potential harm coming to her daughter's mental, emotional and maybe even physical well being. And Topanga would not allow anything to harm her precious little angel. Maybe it seemed like Cory and Riley had a closer bond while Topanga chose Auggie, but Riley was her oldest child and her only daughter. Nobody would ever come before Riley in her eyes.

"You call her your fierce, amazon warrior," Riley stated, her voice empty and lacking any sort of an emotion as she spoke.

"What?"

"When something is important to me, you don't get involved unless it affects Maya in some sort of way," Riley explained.

"That's not true!"

"When did you ever hang up one of my paintings on the fridge?"

"Riley…you're not a very good artist," Topanga frowned.

"You freaked out over Maya's painting! You wanted to buy it!"

"Maya's an artist, Riley. Not everybody has the same talents and I've always supported you in the things that you were good at or wanted to pursue," Topanga said gently but defensively.

"Why did you care about the arts getting cut back in eighth grade?"

"Because I knew how much that art class meant to Maya, sweetheart," Topanga explained. "And I knew that she had a talent that needed to be honed," She finished.

"See my point?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows towards her hair line and shooting her mother an accusing look.

"Riley," Topanga laughed. "I didn't care about the Maya's art class because I cared about Maya being happy more than I cared about _you_ being happy," She said.

"What about when I decided to be a feminist?" Riley shot back.

"What are you talking about? I supported you in that!"

"You were pacifying me and you know it," Riley accused.

"You were being rude to those poor girls, Riley," Topanga pointed out. "And besides that, you were overreacting just the slightest bit," She finished.

"But when I told you that Maya dropped the marble, you got all worked up about it," Riley frowned.

"Because if Maya didn't do the exact same thing that you did, it meant there was a deeper reason behind it, Riley. And I wanted to know if that reason was because Maya thought she wasn't smart enough to do more than drop the marble. I didn't want her to think she had to be a mere assistant because she wasn't good enough. My problem with her dropping the marble had nothing to do with your feminist streak. It had to do with concern for a little girl who had a low self es-" Topanga didn't get to finish her rant, because as her voice raised, Riley cut her off with her next argument.

"Maya wasn't speaking to me because Lucas called her short and you assured her that she would be fine, because people like the two of you were always just fine. And that was after she told me all of the things people say about me," Riley glared.

"Riley, she was saying all of those things that she didn't agree with about you. She was pointing out everything that other people complained about that she just didn't see as a problem. And she was proving to you that, even though people say things about you, she defends you without any concern as to whether or not they're true," Topanga explained.

"You're taking her side right now!"

"Because you're looking for excuses to be angry with your best friend when you need her the most and when she needs you the most!" Topanga said, finally having had enough of her daughter's antics.

Riley stared at her mother defiantly, waiting for whatever she was about to add on. As much as she didn't want to hear it, she knew that her mother was going to fix everything. It was just how Topanga was. She always knew what the real problem was and exactly what needed to be done to fix everything.

"I care about Maya and her happiness because she goes above and beyond to ensure that my daughter is always at her absolute best. I care about Maya's happiness because, for a very long time, that little girl needed somebody to care about her and make sure she was protected. I care about Maya and her happiness because I know that if anything every happened to that girl, it would destroy you. And, Riley, I never want anything bad to happen to you. So, maybe I go a little overboard when it comes to protecting her sometimes, but it's not because I favor her. It's because I'm grateful for the friend she's been to my daughter," Topanga wasn't yelling, but her voice was strong as she spoke.

"So…she's not better than me?" Riley whispered, her head hung in shame again.

"Maya made some poor choices in middle school regarding Lucas as well, Riley," Topanga said softly, wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"We didn't know how to handle it….we never thought we'd have to deal with something like him," Riley said.

"I think you both did a pretty incredible job," Topanga said. "I don't think that I could have done it," she admitted.

"I just…I wanted a relationship like the one you and dad have. Everybody was so certain that Lucas and I would be the next Cory and Topanga," Riley admitted with a sad smile.

"Do you remember when your father told Shawn there could be more than one Cory and Topanga?"

"Yeah. It was what made Uncle Shawn propose to Katy," Riley beamed.

"Well, he was wrong," Topanga stated bluntly. "There is only ever going to be one Cory and Topanga, because every single relationship is unique and different. You can sit around and dissect every aspect of my relationship with your father and compare every tiny detail to those of Lucas's relationships with you and Maya. You can find all of the coincidences that you want, searching until you're blue in the face, but it's not going to do anything in the end," Topanga explained.

"I don't understand…."

"I sat in front of your father in our history class," Topanga explained.

"Maya sat in front of Lucas!" Riley gasped.

"I initiated the first kiss with your father," Topanga went on.

"I kissed Lucas!" Riley's eyes widened.

"See?" Topanga asked. "Maybe Lucas and Maya have more similarities to your father and me than you and Lucas, but that doesn't mean that they're the next Cory and Topanga," she rolled her eyes as though the entire concept was foolish to her.

"It's just…everybody wants what you have. True love," Riley sighed.

"Riley…you're going to get that. One day, when you're ready. Lucas and Maya just happen to have been ready for it a little bit sooner and with one another," Topanga stated.

"But…what about Uncle Josh?" Riley frowned.

"Do you wanna know a secret?" Topanga said, flashing a half grin.

"Of course!" Riley shrieked.

"Your father and I were best friends when we were little. When middle school hit, we drifted because I turned into my flower child-self and your father was…well, believe it or not, but your father was somewhat cool back when were were younger," Topanga explained.

"And?" Riley frowned, wondering what the secret was.

"Well, before we were going to start high school, your Uncle Eric came to tell us about how high school would be different. And he was mature and good looking," Topanga explained.

"No!"  
"Yes, I had a crush on your uncle. And I acted like a love sick puppy. I made him brownies and I made up excuses to invite myself over so I could see him," Topanga explained, lowering her head as though ashamed of her actions.

"You were like how Maya is with Josh!" Riley gasped.

"I was," Topanga nodded.

"Mom! You need to tell Maya so that she knows she has to pick Lucas!"

"Riley," Topanga sighed. "I think that would be better coming from her best friend."

* * *

Joshua Matthews was sitting in his dorm room wondering how he had messed up his life so horribly.

How was it possible that he-a fairly smart, argumentatively attractive, sometimes hilarious, decently compassionate and somewhat talented college freshman-was wrapped around the finger of a sophomore in high school, caught up in her high school drama and forced into a love triangle with her?

He had tried so hard to push Maya away, despite his obvious attraction to her.

For years he had told her that she was too young for him. He had refused to touch her and spoke to her as little as possible. Often times, he forgot about his promise to himself to try to force himself to get over her but he always remembered before it got too late.

Three years was a big deal. He knew that. He understood that he was at a completely different point in his life than she was. He would be graduating from college and ready to start his life and she would be finishing up her first year of college and just deciding what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. There were going to be at different points at their lives until it was too late for them to come together.

Sure, when she was twenty one and he was twenty four, it wouldn't mean anything. They'd both be legal and they could both enjoy a trip to the bar. They would both be ready to start their careers and talk about an actual future for themselves.

But, when she was just about to turn sixteen and he was so close to turning nineteen, it was a big deal.

It wasn't even legal for them to have sex, and Josh was at the point in his life where he was more than ready to take that next step in a relationship. He knew Maya wasn't ready and he would never pressure her, but knowing that even if she were ready for that next step, they couldn't be together in that way, killed him more than anything else.

He had given into temptation and that was his downfall.

But, who could blame him for giving into his feelings for a girl like Maya Hart? She was everything that he had ever wanted in his life. She was smart, loyal, compassionate, kind, caring, loving, considerate, and beautiful. She was full of talent. She was full of _life_ and just being near her made Josh feel more alive than he ever had in his life. More alive than he had ever dreamed of feeling in his entire life.

It had been the way that her eyes sparkled that had really done him in, however.

Whenever she was happy, they lit up. They shone and radiated happiness. He loved seeing that look in her eyes and he couldn't stand to see that light fade away.

However, when she was sad, her eyes weren't like most. They weren't dead and empty. They still had a sparkle, but it was a watery sparkle. They were clearly full of tears and about to overfill, showing every ounce of pain she was feeling.

He couldn't allow himself to be the reason for that look in her eyes. He wouldn't allow lehimself to be the reason for it. The look caused his own heart to break. On the contrary, the happy sparkle made him feel like the world was right. And when he was the cause of that sparkle? He felt like he was the most amazing guy in the world. He could do anything if Maya was smiling like an idiot with a blinding sparkle in her eyes because of somebody like him. It was the best feeling of accomplishment.

The problem that Josh was having, however, wasn't so much that he was regretting his decision to be with Maya.

The problem was that he didn't really have anybody to talk to about his problems. He didn't have many close friends at school and the ones that he did have happened to be females who thought that Maya was the most incredible girl in the world. He feared what would happen if he tried to talk to one of them about the issues at hand.

Besides, his best friend in the world was Maya Hart.

And how was he supposed to talk to Maya about a problem that involved her?

"Alright," Francesca Goldman said, storming into Josh's dorm room with her usual snarky smirk in place.

The tall, leggy blonde was beautiful. That much couldn't be denied. She had a slightly square face with sharp features and high cheek bones. Her milk chocolate brown eyes were fierce and cat-like. She had pale, milky skin. She was tall and thin, appearing as though there was nothing to her at all. Her pale blonde waves were cut short, framing her face and just barely touching her shoulders.

She had attended Abigail Adams High School, with her best friend Nikki who was right behind her as the two girls barged into Josh's room as though they owned the place.

"We need to talk," Nikki Rodriguez barked in her commanding, confident voice.

Nikki was every bit as tall as Francesca. But, their height was the only similarity they had. While Francesca was pale, Nikki had naturally bronzed skin year round with a muscular build. Her face was round and her features, while beautiful, were soft and gentle. She had deep dimples with a wide and short nose. Her lips were full and pouty. She had large, doe-like, dark brown eyes that were almost black. And her dark chocolate brown hair was almost black, falling in loose waves just past her shoulders with a few streaks of caramel towards the bottom.

"We do?" Josh gulped.

"You act like we don't know _everything_ that happens at that high school," Nikki rolled her eyes, lifting herself up into Josh's desk and crossing one leg over the other.

"You do remember that just a few months ago, that was _our_ school, right?" Francesca asked, taking a seat besides her best friend.

"How do you guys know what's going on with Maya?"

"Thor," the girls responded together.

"How does _he_ know?" Josh groaned.

"Lucas," The girls giggled together.

"Now, do you want to tell us your side of things?" Nikki asked, raising her eyebrows at the dark haired boy lying on his dorm bed.

"Because contrary to popular belief, we have better things to do than meddle in Maya's life and fix her relationships," Francesca replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Nobody-"

"Quiet," Nikki demanded. "No arguing and no more questions. Just explain."


	19. Learning the Truth

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 19: Learning the Truth  
**

 _ **A/N: So, a lot of people in the fandom are freaking out over comments Riley made to Maya or Maya made to Riley. I don't want to spark up the debate here, because this isn't place for it. But, I really do think that there was a strong difference between the bird comment and Riley's comment about liking Jexica more. But, I think that after watching Permanent Record, I could see why Riley might want to hear that somebody liked her more than they liked Maya. It's a complicated web and I just really want the show to end this love triangle because at this point, I don't care what the writers say is endgame.**_

* * *

Riley Matthews was dressed in one of her brightest, most cheerful outfits for that Tuesday morning, hoping that some color would distract from the cluster of emotions filling her up inside.

She was completely over her fight with Maya, well aware of what she had done wrong. She was ready to talk it all out with Maya and get everything out in the open. She was willing to accept her own faults and forgive Maya for the mistakes that she had made as well. Everything was going to be okay again.

Her outfit was supposed to show that she was back to the cheerful Riley Matthews who never failed to find the good in everybody. From her purple denim shorts layered over black and white polka dotted tights to her vibrant purple combat boots, she knew that she was throwing it back to her middle school days. The white, fitted, cropped tank top with the high neck and large purple cat in the center just reinforced that message.

Everything was going to be perfectly fine, as long as she was able to talk to Maya without bursting into tears. As long as she said everything the way she had practiced the night before, so that Maya didn't get the wrong impression from her message.

There was a plan and everything was going to go smoothly.

That was what Riley thought would happen, however, until she arrived on campus after her solo subway ride and found Farkle Minkus sitting on the front steps to the school, nursing a black eye and a fat flip.

His injuries alone were enough to make Riley worry, but the fact that he was sitting by himself without even Isadora to keep him company filled Riley with even more dread. Something had to be horribly wrong that Farkle had gotten beaten up and none of their friends were around to care for the poor boy.

Lucas and Zay would never allow anybody to get away with hurting Farkle.

The Texan implants had taken Farkle under their wing and did everything they could to protect him. They had attempted to teach him all about sports and how to work out properly to gain some muscle mass, but that hadn't been Farkle's forte. They had allowed him to call it quits and found another group activity for their male bonding. But, they still silently watched out for Farkle to keep him safe and sound at all times.

It just didn't make sense that somebody had hurt him and gotten away with it. Zay and Lucas would be by Farkle's side begging for details. That was how it went.

The only way they wouldn't be quizzing Farkle for details about who had hurt him and why would be if they already knew who it was and they were hard at work in punishing the culprit. That worried Riley for far deeper reasons, because she didn't want either boy-especially Lucas-to get into trouble for fighting again.

Besides, even if the two boys were off getting their revenge, Maya and Isadora would be at Farkle's side, each doing their own thing.

Isadora would be rattling off something scientific and complicated about potential threats to his health from the injuries while examining him for signs of any complication that couldn't be detected by the eyes.

Maya would be trying to make Farkle feel better by assuring him that a black eye made him look tough and the potential for a scar was a good thing, because it meant he could make up an elaborate story for the origin of it. She would then tell him all about how it was good he hadn't tried to fight back, because she would be terrified of what the other guy would have looked like after a brawl with Farkle.

Yet Farkle was alone.

Riley needed to get to the bottom of things, immediately. She needed to know exactly what was happening with her friends, because she had thought the only problems had been between herself and Maya. She hadn't even realized that Farkle had been involved, beyond being a shoulder for the girls to cry on. He had always been their rock, after all. He was the reason that it was so hard for them to find a boy that they thought deserved them-because they had promised years ago to never settle for anything less than Farkle.

"Farkle?" Riley asked, her voice gentle and quiet.

He turned around, eyes growing wide in shock at having heard somebody say his name. When he realized it was Riley, he showed immediate relief and comfort. It was clear to the brunette that he would only be pleased with Riley's presence.

"Hey," He grinned, a sole dimple caving into his right cheek sheepishly. "How you holding up today?" He asked, adjusting the strap of his backpack.

"I'm fine-I need to find Maya to talk some things out, but I'm okay. What happened to you? That's the important thing," Riley insisted, taking a cautious step towards the boy.

"You're talking to Maya?"

"Yeah," Riley nodded, gesturing for him to walk with her. "She's my best friend. We fight, we talk. We work things out. That's how it goes," She shrugged.

"Oh…"Farkle trailed off.

"What happened to you face, by the way? Don't tell me somebody did that to you, because Lucas and Zay would get into serious trouble if they tried to-"

"Lucas and Zay won't be coming to my defense anytime soon," Farkle rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about? If somebody hurt you, they're obviously going to-"  
"Zay did this to me," Farkle said, pointing at the black eye and the fat lip. "And Lucas did this," He responded dryly, rolling up his sleeves to reveal bruises covering his arms.

"What?" Riley froze, not caring that she was in the middle of the hallway. "Why would they-"

"Because I flipped out on Maya for lying to you."  
"You….you yelled at Maya?"

"She was _wrong_ and I'm sick of everybody-"  
"She was trying to _protect_ me!"

"Are you seriously defending her?"

"You had no right to do that to her!"  
"She hurt you!"

"Yeah, well, now I got hurt because of her."

"You know…I don't really condone violence but…well, maybe you sort of deserved this," Riley whispered, her voice soft.

"Did you seriously just say that? I got this defending _you,"_ Farkle gasped.

"I don't need you to come to rescue. I got mad at Maya and I went to you to have somebody to talk to. What did Maya do to deserve you to yell at her?"

"She called me and tried to play the victim!"

"I don't know the full details of what happened in the phone call, but if Maya called you last night, it wasn't the pretend to be a victim. It was to talk to her best friend and get some advice," Riley said darkly.

She turned around, facing him with a serious expression on her face. They were blocking traffic in the halls and she was sure people were getting annoyed, but she didn't care. He needed to hear what she had to say.

"And you betrayed her and…well…you know how Maya and I are better than anybody. You're supposed to love the both of us equally and never choose one over the other. That's how it's always been for the three of us, Farkle. I thought that you were the one person who would always remain constant in our life and never have a bias, but clearly I was wrong. Maybe Maya and I were both wrong when we vowed to never settle for anything less than you," Riley shook her head.

"I'm in love with you!"

Farkle blurted the words out without thinking. He hadn't meant to admit it and he hadn't wanted to tell her in such a way. But, the words were out there now and there was no turning back. So, the two stood face to face, neither one saying a word as they stared at one another.

"What?" Riley finally asked, her voice breathless. "What did you just say?"

"I said that I'm in love with you. It's always been you," Farkle stated, his voice monotone.

"But…you…I….what about Smackle?"

"You had Lucas. I needed to get over it."  
"You did to Smackle-you are _currently_ doing to Smackle what Lucas did to me. Do you realize how awful that is? And at least I knew that Lucas had some sort of feelings for Maya. Smackle has no idea that you have serious feelings for me. That's just…I'm sorry, Farkle, but I can't even look at you right now, much less be around you," She stated, staring at him with disgust.

"Riley, don't do this," Farkle pleaded.

"I need to go and find my friends. I need to fix things with Maya. Something that's going to be much harder now, thanks to you."

* * *

"Maya!"

The blonde groaned, throwing her head backwards as she slammed her locker shut. She turned around, plastering a smile onto her face and hoping her eyes were bright as she came face to face with Riley, who looked more distressed than her excited exclamation of the blonde's name would have implied.

"What's going on?" Maya asked, immediately jumping back into the role of the concerned friend.

"What did Farkle say to you last night?" Riley blurted out.

"It doesn't matter," She shook her head.

"Why?" Riley frowned.

"Because I know that you're over everything. So, can we talk about what happened with us instead and then worry about the whole Farkle mess?" Maya said, flashing her best friend a reassuring smile.

They were Riley and Maya. They were always meant to be best friends. They could read one another's minds. They were always there for one another. They completed one another and provided the perfect balance for one another.

Whenever they got into a fight-no matter how rare it was for them to feud-the fight was resolved just as quickly as it was started. They couldn't stay separated for too long because they wouldn't be able to talk to anybody else the way that they talked to one another. They would explode from the secrets they would have nobody to share with.

"You didn't lie to me so that I'd think I'd have a chance and get hurt in the end. You did it because you thought that it would keep me from getting hurt. And while you should have told me the truth from the beginning, I can't be mad at you for trying to protect me," Riley explained in a rush, getting it all out in one breathe.

Maya cocked an eyebrow, arms crossed across her chest, waiting for Riley to go on. Because she knew that the brunette had to have something better prepared if she was going to use that as an excuse for her actions the previous night.

"And I was wrong, too. I pushed you and Lucas together convinced that you guys would fail and I would get him in the end. But, at least if I forced you guys together, people would talk about how amazing and kind and selfless I was, the way they thought of you. And I'd still get the guy," Riley finished, flashing Maya that adorably goofy grin that the blonde could never deny.

Maya was quiet for a second, biting down on her bottom lip. She looked towards the ground and stuffed her hands in her pockets. She gave the illusion of being deep in thought and Riley began to panic. The brunette's eyes grew wide and her lips parted just slightly as she wrapped her arms around her torso to hold herself tightly. Swaying slightly, back and forth on the balls of her feet, she glanced around the hallways trying to focus on anything other than the girl standing before her.

"Oh, come here," Maya chuckled, opening her arms out.

Her smile took over her face and her eyes brightened. The sparkle that made boys like Josh and Lucas fall head over heels for her returned to her eyes. She seemed like the same Maya that had gone up to Lucas on the subway back in seventh grade and made her speech in order to teach Riley how to interact with boys. She was back to being the confident blonde who had told Josh several times that they'd be getting married in the future.

"Really?" Riley asked, her annoyingly awkward grin that was too large for her face taking over. "Oh, Peaches, you mean it?"

"Hug me before I change my mind," Maya rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Best friends again?" Riley squealed, jumping into Maya's arms and lifting the shorter girl from the ground.

"But of course," Maya smirked, breaking the hug and hooking her arm through her taller friend's arm. "Now, what's all this about Farkle?"

"What did he say to you last night?" Riley asked, immediately growing serious.

"He just told me that I never should have lied to you about the Lucas thing back in middle school and that I caused all of this. And that I'm selfish and a bad friend and yada yada yada," Maya rolled her eyes as if she were bored with the conversation.

"That's not _true!"_ Riley insisted.

"I know," Maya said, even though Farkle's words had hurt her so much the night before.

The reassurance from Riley, however, was all that she needed to know that Farkle had been wrong. Nothing that he had told her was the truth and she was going to be fine. Everything was going to be okay and nothing was her fault. At least, it wasn't completely her fault and it wasn't something she could have prevented on her own. It wasn't something she had selfishly caused to happen.

"But, uh…just out of curiosity," Riley said, a nervous tint to her voice. "You didn't happen to say anything about your conversation with Farkle to Lucas or Zay, did you?" She wondered, attempting-and failing-to keep her voice neutral.

"Yeah," Maya frowned, confused by the question. "Zay stopped by almost immediately after I got off the phone and saw I was upset," She answered.

Riley's shoulders slumped, but she refused to say anything back to the blonde. She didn't know _what_ she was supposed to say. Because she knew that Maya would feel twice as guilty if she heard about what the boys had done to Farkle the night before because of his hurtful words to Maya. Yet, she needed some excuse or Maya would start to piece it all together and figure out something had happened. And Maya's conclusion would be worse than the truth, because Maya always jumped to the worst case scenario.

"Um…you haven't seen either of the boys today, have you?" Riley asked.

"Lucas gave me a ride to school. Zay tagged along," Maya's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Did they seem… _weird_ to you?" Riley wondered, turning with Maya towards their homeroom class.

"Why would they seem weird? What do you even mean by _weird?"_ Maya wondered, entering the classroom.

When Riley couldn't get a story out-especially a story involving gossip of any sort-it meant that she was afraid of how Maya was going to react. And when she was afraid of how Maya was going to react, it meant that things were _bad_ and the blonde was going to have no choice but to overreact. Which meant Maya needed to hear the story immediately so that she had time to figure out some sort of a plan that would be the right response to all of the problems at hand.

"It's just…well," Riley stalled, trying to ease out the conversation until the bell rang so that she would have an extra ten minutes to think of a good excuse for her questions. "You see…I may have..well, uh…"

"Riley," Maya rolled her eyes, dropping down into her seat-front row, center aisle. "Spit it out already, will you? We don't have all day and I'm getting the impression that this isn't the type of story you can tell me in the random, non-consecutive and infrequent intervals we see each other between classes. So, can you just get on with it?" she looked at her best friend with eyebrows raised towards her hairline, showing her impatience.

"Well…."

"Riley! How long are you-"

" _YOU!"_

Isadora Smackle interrupted the best friends's conversation with the low growl that was released upon her arrival. The blonde whipped her head towards the back of the classroom, curls swinging an slapping her in the face as her eyes narrowed, threatening the interruption when she was so close to hearing the gossip. The brunette, however, was filled with dread and turned her head in the opposite direction. Her eyes widened and her mouth turned into a stressed out, stretched out scow.

The dark haired girl stormed towards the front of the room, her sky-high, glossy ponytail bopping with every angry step that she took, giving it a slightly comedic experience. Her dark eyes were narrowed and her nose was scrunched, with her lips taking on the form of a straight line. Her fists were clenched and she was marching right towards Riley and Maya.

" _You_ did this!" Isadora snapped, eyes locked on Riley.

"Ex- _cuse_ me?" Maya asked, jumping to her feet.

"Your friend stole my boyfriend!" Isadora barked, whirling around to glare at Maya.

"Listen, I don't know what crazy tree you've been barking up but you need to back off of my best friend. You got a problem with Riley? You take it up with _me,"_ Maya ordered, taking a step towards Smackle.

The skinny, glasses-wearing brainiac squeaked in terror, jumping backwards. Then, after a few seconds of cowering in fear of Maya, she went back to her angry exterior, attention locked on Riley.

"Zay told me about what happened last night!" Smackle snapped.

"That doesn't even involve Riley! I was the one on the phone with Farkle!" Maya insisted.

"Yeah, and he was-as always-putting Riley before you, despite his claims that he loves you both equally, like his best friends," she rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about when Zay went over to Farkle's house last night!"

"What are you talking about?" Maya frowned.

"You know about that?" Riley gulped.

"Of course I know about that! You think I could have possibly seen Farkle this morning and _not_ found out about what happened? It's clear just from seeing his _face_ that something happened to him!"

"What? His face? Riley, what's going on?" Maya asked, turning to look at her friend in confusion and concern.

"Well…uh-"

"Don't ask _her,"_ Isadora snapped, "She'll just make up some excuse about how she _stole_ my boyfriend!" she insisted, actually going as far as to stomp her foot.

Maya fought the urge to roll her eyes. She worked hard to bite her tongue to ensure that none of her usual snarky comments came out. And she tried her hardest not to show the stress that she was sure was radiating out of every pore due to the fact that she had _no fucking idea_ what Isadora was going on about, yet Riley seemed to be fully aware of what she was on about.

Which was ridiculous, because the only thing that Maya had any clue about was that Farkle was in love with Riley. Yet, as far as Maya knew, Riley didn't know about Farkle's feelings. And there was no way that his face would indicate his feelings for her-not when he had been looking at the brunette like that for _years_ without her catching onto the feelings that the nerdy boy had for him.

"Can somebody just tell me what is going on?" Maya snapped, her eyes darting between the two brunettes before her.

"Farkle's in love with Riley!" Isadora snapped.

"Zay and Lucas beat up Farkle!" Riley winced.

The girls had their outbursts at the same time. The words ran over one another in the air and it took Maya a moment to grasp what had just been said to her. It took the brunettes that long to process everything as well. There was a moment's hesitation before the next sound was made.

" _What?"_ Maya and Riley snapped, both of them releasing their feelings at the exact same time.

After a second more of hesitation, the best friends turned to stare at one another, eyes narrowed and expressions hardened.

"You _knew?_ For how long? And you didn't _tell_ me?"

"You two really _are_ creepily close," Smackle said in awe, taking a careful step away from the pair with wide, frightful eyes.

"Why the _hell_ did Lucas and Zay beat up _Farkle_ of all people?" Maya asked, eyes locked on Riley, even though she knew that Smackle would give her the answer.

After all, Smackle never allowed a question to go unanswered. Even if she didn't know the correct answer-which was rare-she always made sure that an answer was given. Because she believed that all questions were meant to be a learning experience for at least one of the involved parties. So, she jumped to answer, especially when she knew the right answer-which was a large majority of the time.

"Because of what Farkle said to you on the phone. Zay was very upset about how Farkle treated you and when he went over to talk to Farkle about, he just continued to defend himself, despite the fact that he was wrong. Despite the fact that I've lectured him _several_ about how unfair he is to you, Maya," Smackle said, shooting Maya an apologetic look. "But, regardless of that-Zay then realized that Farkle's in love with Riley and that made him even angrier, because of how unfair that treatment was to me," she finished.

"So, what you're saying is that Zay beat up Farkle because he's treating Isadora the way that Lucas treated me?" Riley asked, eyebrows raised in the air as she shot them both a pointed look.

"No," Maya insisted, shaking her head. "That's not what he was doing."

"Not what _who_ was doing?" the brunettes asked in almost perfect unison.

"Lucas wasn't trying to hurt you, Riles. I thought we went over that," Maya said, shooting her best friend a pleading look.

She was tired of fighting. She was over it. She just wanted things to calm down and go back to normal. If she could get Riley to be her best friend once again and fix this mess with Farkle and everybody else in their group, she would end the love triangle she was currently a part of. She would sit down and dedicate the rest of the day to picking between Josh and Lucas.

That was how badly she wanted the drama to end.

After all, it was killing her. It was slowly driving her insane.

It was impossible for her to sleep. She was struggling to eat. Her friendships were strained-and not just her friendship with Lucas. While it was awkward for them to act like they usually did with one another, her friendships with everybody in their group had been changed because of the drama.

Dealing with Riley was like walking on egg shells, because Maya never knew what was going to set her off.

Farkle was always against Maya and everything that she did. He seemed to be working in overtime to ensure that Maya felt awful and guilty about herself-even worse than she already did. He had made it his job to make sure that Maya cried herself to sleep every single night.

Zay, as Lucas's best friend, couldn't talk to her without throwing in his biased opinion. Of course, he had always been a big fan of what he had dubbed "LUCAYA". From his arrival in New York, Zay had been hinting that the pair should be together and acting as their spokesperson. He had even been the one that had campaigned for them to win cutest couple in eighth grade.

Smackle and her had never been close, but even that friendship was hindered, because Smackle and Riley had always been closer to one another.

"Then why do you think Farkle was trying to hurt somebody?" Riley asked.

"Because I asked Farkle if he had feelings for you!" Smackle barked, glaring at Riley once again.

" _What?"_ the best friends shrieked together.

"Back when he and I first became official, I asked him about his feelings for the both of you. I wanted to make sure that what he felt for me was different than what he felt for either one of you. And when I specifically asked about Riley, he insisted that he felt the same for her about Maya. And I believed him. I allowed him to make a fool of me. But, he lied to me. He lied to me about everything. Did Lucas ever lie to you?" Smackle asked, her eyes watering as she spoke.

It was a rare moment for Maya and Riley.

They had never seen Isadora Smackle show so much emotion before.

It was rare for Smackle to ever talk about her feelings, yet alone show her feelings. And they weren't even in private. They were right out in public, in the middle of their homeroom class. Yet, there stood Smackle, broadcasting her feelings to anybody within earshot.

"Smackle…you deserve better than some guy who can't be honest with you," Maya whispered, taking a few small, cautious steps towards the glossy haired brainiac.

"Lucas hurt me and he knew that in the end he was going to hurt me. But he never lied to me outright about his feelings for me or for Maya. I'm so sorry, Izzy," Riley said, flashing the girl a heartfelt smile.

"It isn't your fault," Isadora insisted, lowering her head. "You didn't known."

"Listen," Maya sighed. "How about you sit down and the three of us can run to get smoothies during lunch and talk about everything going on? Because-and I don't know if you know this, but….I happen to have a bit of boy drama going on myself," Maya said with a mischievous smirk.

If seeing Smackle display emotion was strange for the best friends, what happened next was even weirder for them. Because Smackle threw her head back and cackled in laughter, almost falling over as she burst out into a round of hysterics. Her laughter was so loud and sincere that she had to hug her stomach to keep from falling over completely.

And it was absolutely contagious, as Maya and Riley immediately joined in on the laughter, unable to control themselves. Maya's comment hadn't even been that funny, but all three girls had been in such desperate need for a laugh, that it had done the trick.

* * *

"What the hell, Huckleberry!"

Lucas couldn't even be angry at the five-foot-nothing, blonde haired girl who had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down to face her, keeping his back pressed firmly up against the metal lockers behind him.

"Seriously, Ranger Rick? You and Zay go and beat up _Farkle_ of all people?"

It wasn't right to find her anger adorable, but he couldn't help it. She was just so _cute_ when she thought that she was all big and tough. It wasn't even that Lucas was afraid of her. He just melted when she tried to be some sort of hot shot, bad ass, because it was absolutely adorable in every single way.

"Sundance, you better wipe that smile off your face right now and tell me what was running through your head when you thought it was a good idea to beat up _Farkle!"_

Alright, and maybe he would do absolutely anything that she asked, but he wasn't _afraid_ of her. Being afraid of her meant that he thought she could cause him some sort of harm. And the only threat that Maya made when it came to hurting Lucas was his heart. Because she was the only person with the power to completely break his heart.

"Are you broken or something, Hop-a-long? You gonna say something?"

If he opened his mouth, he was going to start laughing and that would make everything worse. The smile that he was unable to contain had already done enough.

"Heehaw, I'm starting to get really angry right now so you better start using that pretty boy face to make some words that answer my questions."

Lucas was over six feet tall. He was composed of solid muscle and weighed one hundred and eight pounds. He was a star football player. He was the master of Tombstone the bull. He wasn't trying to brag or anything, but he was sort of a big deal when it came to the intimidation game. So it was a little bit strange that Maya still thought he could possibly be afraid of her, when she stood at just over five feet tall and weighed in at just around one hundred pounds.

"I'm going to give you until the count of three, Bucky McBoing Boing, and then we're going to have some problems because you're cutting into my free period and you _know_ that I use those for studio time!"

Throwing in her passion for art just made her even less intimidating. It actually made Lucas smile even more, because he really couldn't get over how adorable she was.

"Seriously, Cowboy? You're really just going to stand there smiling like an idiot?" Maya rolled her eyes, pulling him even closer to her, so that their noses were just touching.

And then Lucas was brought back to every single time they had been in that position before. Back when he had dared to enter Mayaville when they had all been in detention and he had requested that she call him mad dog. Like when he had told her not to look at him and she had pulled him close. Like every single Ha-hurr.

It was in those moments that Lucas lost control of himself and couldn't help but cower in fear of the blonde before him, because he realized just how much stronger than him she was.

Maybe it was sad, that Lucas Friar, who could conquer a killer bull-the boy who had gotten expelled from school in seventh grade for harming another student so severely-the boy who had successfully threatened a student who was probably three years older than him and much larger than him-the boy who had been able to hold his own in a fight with Joshua Matthews-the boy who was as strong as a horse without even trying-went weak in the knees when it came to Maya Hart.

He didn't really care, though, because if she was cute when she thought she was tough, she was even cuter when she knew that she actually was scaring him.

So, he gave into her demands and he started to tell her all about the previous night and what had happened between himself, Zay and Farkle.

After all, she was going to find out eventually.


	20. Maya's Choice

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 20: Maya's Choice **

_**A/N: Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for...**_

* * *

The girls were sitting in a nearby Jamba Juice, slowly nursing their own beverage. Each one was waiting for one of the other two to say something in order to start the conversation. Nobody wanted to be the first one to speak, though.

Depending on who said the first thing, the conversation would go in three very different ways. And none of the girls wanted to be the ones to make the decision. They didn't want to have the power to run the conversation and pick which direction the conversation went in, because they were all fearful of what the conversation would hold.

The blonde beauty sat with her Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie held towards her mouth with one hand wrapped around the plastic cup, the other hand keeping the straw positioned against her glossy mouth, as her eyes scanned the two brunettes sitting across from her suspiciously, silently demanding that one of the two start to speak, because she refused to say anything before they said their piece.

Sitting on an arm chair across from the aforementioned blonde was a pretty brunette, nervously fiddling with the bright orange straw of her Tropical Sunburst smoothie. She stared at the pale orange beverage intently, as though it were the most interesting thing that she had ever laid eyes on, because she knew that she would cave in an instant if she had to take in the full intensity of the blonde's blue eyed glare. She always ended up giving into the demands of the blonde, and this time she had to try to fight back.

And then there was the four-eyed genius, clutching onto her Acai Super-Antioxidant smoothie with both hands. She was glaring at both of the other girls, because she didn't fully comprehend how things worked with them yet. She was the outlier and she just didn't know what was the proper routine for the dynamic of the girls.

They had been sitting in silence for about five minutes since they had gotten their drinks and they were fifteen minutes through their forty-five minute lunch period. They needed to get a move on if they were going to get any discussions going.

But, none of them were going to make the first move and that much was obvious.

"Hey, look!"

A cheerful, slightly high-pitched voice broke through the girls's tense silence as two newcomers joined the group, acting completely oblivious to the tension between the three girls.

The athletes entered with ignorantly content smiles on the faces and dropped down on the couch between the chairs that separated the blonde from the brunette girls.

"What's going on with you pretty ladies?" Isaiah Babineox asked, flashing them a wide smile before taking a loud slurp of his Chocolate Moo'd smoothie.

All three girls whirled their heads to glare at him, their hair whipping against their pretty faces as they scowled at the rude interruption. Of course, they were each secretly grateful that the boys had shown up, because it meant that they couldn't have any of the conversations running through their minds and it took the stress and the tension off of them.

"Did we interrupt something?" Lucas Friar asked innocently, his perfect dimples cutting into his cheek.

The too-handsome-for-his-own-good, green eyed teen rolled the Peach Perfection smoothie back and forth in his hands, eyes scanning between the girls with just a hint of sadness that they didn't seem excited to see him or his friend.

"We're all glad you're here, Ranger Rick," Maya replied, shaking out her blonde curls. "None of us wanted to start the conversation we need to have," She explained.

"But, we all know that we need to have it at some point, so you being here is really just prolonging the inevitable," Smackle went on, holding her smoothie between her legs and reaching up to tighten her glossy ponytail.

"So, we're also a little bit thrown off by your arrival," Riley shrugged her shoulders.

"What conversation did you need to have?" Lucas frowned, eyes focused on Maya.

Maya froze, eyes growing wide.

The conversation that she needed to have with the other two girls could not be discussed in front of Lucas. He would either take it too well or he would take it the wrong way entirely. Either way, there was no correct way to have the conversation with Lucas sitting there. Yet, it was clear from the way Lucas had asked the question that he wanted an answer and he would prefer the answer came from Maya.

Besides, if any of the girls answered the question, that conversation would end up happening. So, they were back in the same boat as earlier, with none of the girls wanting to be the first one to speak up.

"About how Farkle's in love with me," Riley blurted out.

Maya released a breathe she hadn't realized she'd been holding and Smackle let out a sigh of relief. Riley merely flashed the blonde a reassuring grin.

That was how their friendship worked, after all. They never failed to have one another's backs because, at the end of the day, the only person that either one could always count on-without fail-was the other one.

"Why do you guys need to talk about that? Smackle dumped him, didn't she?" Zay asked, shooting Smackle an accusing look.

"Of course I did," Smackle whispered, beginning to fiddle with her drink.

"Then what else is there to say?"

"We've all done stupid things because we've been in love. We've all done even stupider things because we were in love with somebody who it wasn't easy to be in love with," Riley stated, allowing her eyes to drift over towards Lucas's beverage, ironically the same flavor as Riley's old nickname for Maya.

"This drink has nothing to do with my feelings for Maya!" Lucas defended himself. "It's just delicious," He pouted.

"Nobody was accusing you of anything, Sundance," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Oh…"Lucas stared down at his drink, trying to hide the awkwardness he was suddenly overcome with.

"Okay, anyways," Maya said, shooting Lucas a questioning look. "We have about fifteen more minutes to talk about this whole Farkle situation. And we definitely need to talk about it, because his face looks _awful_ and his family has got some pretty powerful lawyers that I don't think you two cowboys want to have to deal with," she stated, glaring at the two boys.

"He's not gonna send his lawyers after us," Lucas insisted, laughing off the idea.

"Listen-he was messing with all of our girls and that meant that he needed to pay," Zay said, stating his defense as though it were that simple.

"But _why?"_ Maya asked.

"Because it's not cool to do that to a girl! You can't just date a girl, knowing you're in love with some other girl, who happens to be one of her closest friends!" Zay said, growing animated and energetic as he spoke.

All three of the girls struggled to keep their eyes from drifting over to Lucas, and all three of the girls failed. They also failed trying to hide their guilty expressions as their eyes locked on the gorgeous Texas implant, because they knew that this entire mess had to be hard enough on him already without the girls accusing him of anything else.

"Would you stop looking at me like that!" Lucas groaned.

"Listen, we already talked to you about this. He played with Smackle's feelings, he was rude to you, and he made everything worse for Riley," Zay reminded them, crossing his arms firmly over his chest.

It would look intimidating, if his smoothie wasn't still in his right hand, dangling between his fingertips as he stood there with a serious expression and rigid stance.

"Farkle's seriously in love with me?" Riley wondered, at the same time that Smackle asked, "But why do you care so much about me?"

Maya had been curious about Smackle's question as well. She knew that Lucas had probably realized that Smackle felt as horrible as Riley did when she learned the truth. She understood that Lucas was taking all of his self-hatred out on Farkle, for having done something so similar to what Lucas had done himself.

But why Zay cared so much about Farkle's newly developed triangle with Smackle and Riley was a mystery. He had never been particularly close to the glossy haired genius. They had shared a couple of one-liners and Smackle had even tossed him into her little game with Lucas at one point, but they didn't seem to have a friendship on their own. If Farkle was Riley's best guy friend, Zay was Maya's best guy friend and somewhere along the way, Lucas and Smackle had found one another and developed a sort of adorable friendship.

So, the real question was why Zay was so adamant about his anger towards Farkle for dating Smackle when he was really in love with somebody else. It just didn't make any sense for him to care at all, beyond his Southern gentleman mannerisms. Zay never liked when guys were rude to girls, but this was to a whole new level.

"Because…because it's wrong," Zay said, turning and looking away from the girls.

"Lucas did the same thing," Riley stated blankly, shooting Lucas a sweet and apologetic smile as soon as the words left her mouth, so he knew that they didn't come from a vindicate place. "But you never tried to beat him up," She reminded.

"Because look at him!" Zay gasped, pointing towards Lucas.

"Hey!" Lucas chuckled, playfully punching his best friend in the arm.

"Lucas!" Zay whined, glaring at his friend. "I thought we talked about this-would you _please_ stop hurting me?" He asked through clenched teeth.

The girls burst out into hysterics, and the question at hand was forgotten.

After all, they all agreed on one thing. Their friendship with Farkle was over. They couldn't forgive him for what had been done the day before because it was on a whole different level than what Lucas had done.

With the terminated friendship, it didn't matter what reasons the boys had for beating up Farkle and it didn't matter that Farkle was in love with Riley. Nothing was ever going to come of his feelings and their reasons for being so upset weren't going to lessen what Farkle had done to Maya or to Smackle.

The damage was done and nothing was ever going to change what had happened.

So, the five friends took their drinks and made their way back towards the school, all of them piling back up into Lucas's truck and blaring some old school Disney music-the only type of music that all five of them could agree on-while they sang along on their way back, choosing to ignore the fact that _High School Music_ was well over ten years old and they had just lost one of their best friends.

It hurt Maya and Riley just a bit more than anybody else, because they had been his friend since they were children. But it hurt Lucas just as strong because Farkle had been his first friend in the city. And it hurt Zay because he had always had a close and strong friendship with the boy.

And for Smackle? Farkle had been her first love and her first boyfriend. More than that? He had been the first person to look past her awkwardness and truly accept her.

That meant something, even to a girl like Smackle who never truly understood normal social cues. It meant the world to her, in fact, and all she wanted was to keep him in her life-to keep somebody around who would always understand her.

But, it was too late for that and she would never forgive him for what he had done. Besides, she had four new friends who were just as good.

* * *

Maya was walking out of cheerleading practice with her curls bouncing in their tightly held ponytail, her black spandex shorts hugging her booty, and her white racer back tank top with the blue font covering up the matching blue sports bra that constricted her chest past the point of comfort when she heard somebody frantically calling her name, accompanied by hurried footsteps in an effort to catch up with her.

She paused just outside of the gym doors and crossed her arms over her chest. Turning on her heel, she tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Zay to catch up with her.

The goofy boy was albeit tripping over his gym bag as he ran, freshly showered and changed out of his practice pads. She could just faintly see the water droplets dripping from his short, tightly curled hair as he hurried towards her with a franticness behind his dark eyes.

Before saying anything, when he finally reached her, he hunched over slightly, hands cupping his knees as he tried to catch his breathe. Maya rolled her eyes, raising her eyebrows up at him expectantly as she waited for something to come out of his mouth to explain what it was that he wanted.

Because he clearly wanted something and it was clearly important to him.

"Hey!" He said brightly, popping upright and smiling at her. "I caught you," He said casually, as though he hadn't taken off at a dead sprint to chase after her as soon as he had left the boys's locker room.

"Yeah," Maya replied, eyes wide as she nodded her head. "You did-what's up?" She wondered as she started walking, gesturing for him to walk with her.

"I just…listen, Lucas is a mess, okay? And I love you-you know that I love you. You're my best friend. But…he's my brother, and I can't have him like this. He practiced like shit today and the whole team needs him at his best. And…well, Maya, he's not going to be at his best if he's constantly worried about losing you," Zay explained.

Maya groaned, reaching up and tugging her blonde hair from its ponytail. She ran her fingers through the tangled mess of curls, trying to straighten it all back out as she comprehended what he said.

"What? Is this Lucas's new plan? Send you after me to guilt me into picking him? Because I don't _know,_ Zay," Maya's eyes narrowed.

"I know," Zay said simply. "I'm not trying to talk you into picking him. I don't really care who you pick," He replied, even though they both knew it was a lie.

"Then what are you getting at?"

"I just…you need to pick one of them. It doesn't matter which one, but this whole triangle thing needs to end."

"How do I pick when I don't _know?"_

"You've done it before, Maya. Pick Lucas or Josh, or else you're gonna ruin the kid. He'll never be the same."

* * *

"Zay wants me to pick."

Maya didn't waste a second between crawling through the bay window and blurting out her problem to her best friend. As soon as her barely covered bottom was placed on the cushioned window seat in her best friend's bedroom, the words were tumbling out of her mouth.

Riley raised her eyebrows as soon as Maya spoke, pausing from her homework. Her sparkly, purple pen was still positioned over her notebook with the glittery, dangling fur tip angled towards the air. But, she was no longer staring down at her Spanish textbook as though it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"He came up to me after practice telling me that I needed to pick because Lucas has been a mess. He said he doesn't care who I pick, but he told me that I have to pick one of them soon," She went on, disgust and disbelief dangling from every word that she spoke, showing her astonishment at the demands made by the boy.

"Well," Riley said patiently, trying to be diplomatic, "he sort of has a point," She went back to taking notes in the class she struggled with the most.

"But how am I supposed to pick?" Maya whined.

She was frustrated with the fact that the brunette wasn't giving her the attention that she thought she deserved. After all, this was a big deal and a huge problem from Maya to deal with, especially on her own. Riley was supposed to be her best friend and she was supposed to help Maya with as much as she could.

Yet, she was sitting there doing her homework as if Maya's issue didn't deserve her attention. And that was not the way their friendship worked, especially when it was at their highest point-and they were definitely at their best at that moment.

They always were after their fights, and the fight they had just had was bad enough to ensure that they were going to be good forever. They were Riley and Maya and they were unstoppable. Nothing was ever going to change that for them.

But, if Riley continued to act as though Maya's problems weren't a real thing, the blonde was pretty sure that things could go south pretty quickly and she would be proven wrong about their friendship.

"Did you know my mom used to have a crush on Uncle Eric?" Riley asked casually, pausing once again from her note taking.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"She acted all obsessed with him. She gave him movies she knew he wanted to watch. She baked him brownies. She showed up to their house uninvited and pretended like she was there to hang out with my dad, but she really just cared about seeing Eric," she went back on, ignoring Maya's question.

"What are you getting at?"

"She and Eric are three years apart. Did you know that?" Maya smirked, glancing at Maya over her shoulder briefly.

Maya was quiet, staring at her friend with harsh eyes full of accusation. She now understood exactly what Riley was trying to get at and she didn't know if she should be grateful to Riley for trying so hard to help, or angry with her for trying to convince her to make a particular choice.

"That's how you acted with Josh when things first started and you two are three years apart," Riley explained as though it needed to be said, turning around in her chair and throwing her pen onto her textbook.

"So? Things have changed and I'm actually in-"

"In love with Josh?" Riley cut her off. "Then we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"How do you figure?"

"Because, if you love two people? You always choose the second because if you really loved the first, you never would have noticed the second," Riley said softly.

"I liked Lucas first, though, didn't I?" Maya challenged.

"Of course not," Riley rolled her eyes. "You said it yourself-what you felt for Josh was more than a crush and you were in it for the long game. But, eventually, you fell for Lucas. He's the one that you need to be with, Maya," Riley insisted.

"Lucas is your ex," Maya whispered.

"It doesn't matter, Maya! You stepped aside and you let me have him. You _pushed_ me into his lap on the subway. You started all of this to make me happy. And newsflash? It didn't work because none of it was real! It's you and it's always been you," Riley insisted firmly, her dark eyes intensely locked on Maya.

"He loved you, Riley," Maya whispered, lowering her head.

"No, Maya," Riley laughed slightly, trying to ignore the awkwardness surrounding her. "Lucas never loved me. Not in that way. Farkle loved me-Farkle may even still love me, and I may even love him, or at least be capable of falling in love with him. But he and I are never going to be together, because of circumstances outside of either of our controls," Riley explained.

Maya stared at her friend defiantly, waiting for her to go on. She knew that there was more and she wanted to hear it-all of it. But, she wasn't going to beg because that meant admitting that she had no idea what was going on.

"But Lucas loves you and you love him. There is nothing stopping you two from being together except for your own stubbornness," Riley went on.

"And Josh," Maya reminded her.

"Josh is a _result_ of your stubbornness," Riley rolled her eyes.

"If I tell you that I love Lucas, you're going to sit there and give up. You're going to let me take him for my own. He'll be mine and you'll say you're fine, but you'll be lying," Maya said, eyes filling with tears and her voice showing that she was about to cry.

"And if you don't go for him, you're never going to be satisfied," Riley responded. "I had my chance with him and it didn't work, Maya. Because he's never going to be over you, and if I try to fight to keep him I'm going to stop him from ever being satisfied and I'll never be satisfied either, because I'll miss out on a guy who truly does love me," she said fiercely, sounding stronger than Maya had ever heard her hear before.

"Are you going to be okay if I pick Lucas?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Maya. It's going to suck seeing you guys together at first, because I'm going to have to watch him act the way I always wanted him to act with me. I'm going to see what he's like when he's with somebody he truly loves. And it's going to break my heart a little bit to have to watch that, but it's also going to make me _so_ happy to see my best friend happy with a boy who loves her and treats her the way she deserves to be treated," Riley's eyes started to water as she spoke and Maya could hear the pain in her voice.

She felt horrible for doing this to Riley. She wanted to pick Josh just to put an end to it all. Picking Josh meant that Riley would never have to watch any of that. Everything would be okay and it could all go back to normal.

"And I don't want you to pick Josh now just to avoid me having to watch Lucas and you together. Because the only thing that's going to hurt more than watching Lucas fall even more in love with you would be watching his heart break because he has to watch you with somebody else. I couldn't stomach watching Lucas grow bitter and lose faith in love just because you're too afraid of my reaction to be with him," Riley went on, swallowing hard between sentences to fight back the tears.

"You really think I need to pick Lucas?"

"I think that you owe it to both of you to give it a fair chance."

"Even if it means breaking your heart?"

"I need this, Maya. I need to see it to really make myself believe it. Once I know for a fact that Lucas truly loves you and doesn't feel that way about me, I'm going to be ready to open up my heart and let in somebody who truly loves me and who I can love just as strongly," Riley flashed a watery smile at the blonde.

She was trying to appear as strong as possible, the way that Maya always had for her. She knew that, this time, the blonde needed her to be the strong one. Maya was depending on Riley to support her, regardless of what her decision was. The short girl had never failed Riley. It was Riley's turn to do the same. She had to prove that she was just as good a friend.

* * *

"Hey, Lucas?"

"Yeah? Is everything okay? I'm moving some stuff for my mom so I can head over so-"

"No, no-you're fine. I'm fine. Everything is absolutely fine. I just….I need you to do me a favor, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Anything for you! Need me to stop at the store and grab you some chocolates and…that _stuff_ you need every month on my way?"

Lucas was terrified of saying the word "tampon", but every month when Maya called him whining about how she was craving chocolate and wanted some chips, he made sure that he stopped by a drug store on his way to pick her up a box of feminine products and all of the snacks that she craved, as well as an extra large bottle of Tylenol. Still, he refused to say the word or acknowledge what it was for.

"No-it's not that," Maya rolled her eyes. "I just…I don't need you to come over tonight, okay?" She whispered.

She had called Josh on her way back from Riley's to ask him to meet her at her apartment that night. She had told him that she had something important to tell him and he had told her that he'd be right over.

She had then immediately called Zay to get one final pep talk. Riley had convinced her to make a decision, but she needed to talk to Zay before she could do anything. She needed one more person to confirm that she was doing the right thing and that she wasn't about to make a terrible mistake.

Now, she was talking to Lucas because she knew that she had to give him the same respect that she was giving Josh. After all, Zay and Riley already knew what was happening and she didn't want him to be the last to know. It was better than he heard it from her.

But, she was sure that Josh would be there any minute and she couldn't let him hear her talk about the fact that Lucas slept over at her place every night. She knew exactly how he would take that information and it wasn't good.

"What? Why?"

"I just…..I just need you to stay home tonight, okay? You don't need to come over. I can handle sleeping by myself for-"

Maya froze when she heard her bedroom door creak open. She stopped mid-sentence and knew right away that she was screwed.

"Who doesn't need to sleep over?" Josh asked, his voice lacking any sort of emotion.

"Is that _Josh?"_ Lucas's voice angrily came from the phone.

"Why would _Lucas_ be sleeping over at your apartment?" Josh asked, eyes locked on the phone dangling in Maya's hands.

"Because…uh…he sort of sleeps here every night," Maya whispered, lowering her head.

"While we were dating, you had another guy sleeping over in your bed?"

"Why is _Josh_ there? You know what…I don't care. I get it. You made your choice, I guess. See you at school tomorrow."

Maya heard the click that signaled that he had hung up and she dropped her phone on her bed. She could only deal with one problem at a time. Shaking her head, she stood up and faced Josh, ready to handle the biggest of her problems.

"I had trouble sleeping for a couple of years. Lucas being here made me feel safer and I was able to sleep through the night. We never did anything, Josh," Maya said, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with the older boy.

"Wow…that's real-wait a second…did he just say that you made your choice?" Josh's anger faded for a second as he stared at her with hopeful eyes.

"I did," Maya said softly.

She refused to look at him, lowering her head to avoid eye contact and using her hair to shield herself from him. Because she had made her choice, but it wasn't what either one of the boys was thinking. And she still wasn't sure that she was ready to break one of their hearts. She just didn't think it was possible for her to do it.

"It's not me, is it?" Josh asked her softly, the pain evident in his voice.

Because he knew. Just from looking at her, he knew that she wanted the other boy-the one who was her age and who never failed to make her laugh. The boy that it would be easy for her to be with, because he wasn't the uncle of her best friend.

That wasn't fair, and he knew it, of course. Being with Lucas came with its own complications and they would prove to be just as hard on the blonde as being with Josh had been. Neither relationship would be easy for Maya to have, but she was choosing to take the hard road and pick between the two challenges, rather than just give up.

Maya had learned to believe in hope and she was choosing to believe that things could work out for her.

He wasn't going to make things any harder on her, when she was already so torn up about doing what she had to do-what he and Lucas had forced her to do. He couldn't do that to her, because he had watched her spirit shatter once before and he couldn't watch it happen ever again. He couldn't watch it happen and know that he was responsible for a part of it or that he could have prevented it in some way.

"That's okay, Maya," He told her, taking a step towards her and wrapping her in his arms. "We had a good run, but Lucas is…well, he's a great guy and if I have to step back and watch you be with somebody else, I'm glad it's him. But, if he ever hurts you? I'm gonna kick his ass," Josh forced himself to chuckle, trying to show her that he really was okay.

And he was okay.

Or, at least, he would be okay eventually.


	21. A Pretty Perfect Day

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 21: A Pretty Perfect Day**

 _ **A/N: You guys are going to love the first part of this chapter. It's sort of a filler after that, though, to piece together what's to come. There's plenty of drama still in store, but not any for our favorite blondes anytime soon.**_

* * *

"Lucas!"

Maya had finally spotted the tall, muscular boy at school that morning and she would be damned if she didn't talk to him right then and there. He had called her and cancelled giving her a ride to school that morning and he hadn't been in their usual spot to meet up in the morning. So, she had gone searching through the hallways to find him, shocked when he wasn't at his locker.

Riley had stuck right by her side as she had searched and they had found Zay along the way who had given them a gentle reminder as to where he would be. Smackle had joined them as well when she had found the trio and the four of them had practically raced through the hallways trying to find their fifth friend.

It shouldn't have surprised her that he was sitting on the floor, in the corner of The Hole.

Maybe it would shock some people that he was in the place that had almost ruined their high school experience, but Maya knew that whenever Lucas started to get stressed out, he sat in The Hole and contemplated everything going on in his life. It was what he did.

Which was why it wasn't strange at all to find Lucas Friar sitting with his back tucked into the space where the two walls met with his knees pulled up towards his chest and his forehead resting against his legs, arms thrown over his knees, dangling there uselessly. He looked hopeless and miserable.

"I don't need you to break it to my gently, Maya," Lucas said without bothering to look up at her. "I get that you picked Josh," his tone was bitter and harsh.

"What are you talking about?" Maya frowned, hoping down from the steps into The Hole. "I didn't pick Josh."

"Don't lie to me, Maya. I heard him last night when you called me. Why else would you have him come over and call me up to tell me you didn't want me to sleepover? You picked Josh and there's no reason to lie to me about it. That just hurts more," Lucas looked up at now, his eyes rimmed with red that showed he'd been crying and probably hadn't slept the night before.

"I'm not _lying,"_ Maya snapped. "I called Josh to come over so that I could tell him that I picked _you._ I wanted to let him down in person. And I told you not to come over because I wanted to tell Josh without him finding out about our sleepovers because I figured that would just hurt him more. I was trying to let _him_ down gently, because I'm not picking _Josh._ I'm picking _you,"_ She explained, staring at him with hard, cold blue eyes.

"What?" He furrowed his eyebrows together.

"I'm picking you," She giggled.

"Don't joke with me about this!" He jumped to his feet and beamed at her, his green eyes lighting up like she had never seen them before.

"I picked _you,_ Lucas Friar. I'm in love with you and I'm not hiding it anymore," she confirmed, unable to fight the smile that was threatening to take over her entire face. "I talked to Riley about it and I talked to Zay about it and I talked to Josh and everybody's okay with it and I'm picking _you,"_ she could feel her smile widening as she spoke.

"What did you just say?" Lucas asked, staring at her in shock and disbelief.

She froze, taking a loud swallow as she comprehended what she had just confessed to him. There words that she had never dared speak aloud to him before. She had never stated to him that she may have feelings that went deeper than a desire for a relationship. He had mentioned that he loved her, but neither of them had ever discussed the possible concept that Maya may love him as well.

"Nothing-just that I pick you," She whispered, taking a step back.

"No, no, no-you said that you love me," he beamed at her, those two perfect dimples cutting right into his cheeks, causing him to look so adorable that Maya almost wanted to just admit to her feelings right then and there. But she wasn't going to, because that wasn't the type of girl that Maya was. She never gave into the demands that other people had of her, and she wasn't going to start now, because of some boy.

He knew that he shouldn't play with her like that, especially when they had such an audience, because it would only frustrate her and embarrass her, which would make her angry, but he couldn't help it. He loved Maya and he had finally heard her utter the words that she loved him as well.

"No," She shook her head, making a face at him as though he were absolutely crazy for thinking such a thing.

"Maya…just admit it," Lucas said, taking a small step towards her.

"No," She said adamantly. "Lucas, stop it," She gulped, taking another step backwards.

"I'm gonna do it," Lucas shook his head. "You wanna run or you want it straight in the face?" He smirked down at her, his green eyes mischievously locked on her terrified blue orbs.

"Well…"Maya said softly. "I wanna run, but how would that look?" she flashed him a small smile, hoping he would just leave it be.

Lucas shook his head, slowly moving in closer towards her.

"You guys wouldn't judge me if I run, right?" Maya asked, poking her head out to the side and staring at her friends around Lucas's shoulder.

Lucas grabbed onto her shoulders, adjusting her so that she was standing up straight against the wall. She gulped again, staring up at him in confusion, trying to figure out what he was trying to do.

"Come on, man! There's always another option," she pleaded.

Lucas leaned in closer to her, his forehead pressed against hers.

"I love you! You okay now?" She asked, wincing at his proximity.

Lucas just shook his head, laughing at the tiny blonde's antics. And then he moved his face close up to hers and kissed her right on the lips, his hands shooting up to cup her face, one sliding down to rest on her waist, pulling her into him. Her hands shot up, cupping his shoulders as she pulled herself even closer to him, deepening the kiss as soon as she was able to comprehend what was happening.

"You okay now?" She whispered breathlessly as they pulled apart, resting their foreheads against one another.

"One more thing," Lucas whispered.

"Yeah?" She smiled.

"How would you feel about being a Huckleberry's girlfriend?" He smirked.

* * *

"Maya's got a boyfriend," Riley sing-songed as she hooked her arm through the blonde's after their classes that Wednesday.

"You act like that's a new thing," Maya rolled her eyes.

"But you're in _love,"_ she sing-songed once again, smile taking over her face.

"Yes, I'm in love with Lucas. Now, how about we focus on _you,"_ Maya insisted, longing for any conversation that didn't focus on herself.

"What about me?" Riley made a panicked face as she stopped walking.

"Riley, you're a relationship magnet. You don't _do_ single," Maya reminded her.

"What does that mean? I've been in less relationships than you!"

"From the second you met Lucas, he was your unofficial boyfriend. After Texas, you were going out on dates with Charlie. And then it was back to Lucas. You have never been single or unattached to a boy," Maya stated drily.

"So? What are you trying to get at?"

"I'm saying that you clearly have feelings for somebody right now."

"That's not true!"

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

"I do _not_ have feelings for somebody. I _just_ got out of a relationship with Lucas. I _just_ got over him. How would I have found the time or the emotional capacity to fall for somebody else after only a couple of days? I'm not fickle, Maya and I'm absolutely appalled that you would accuse me-your best friend-of such a-"

"OH, get off your high horse. I never said you got over Lucas and immediately moved onto somebody new. I think you've been in love with the same guy for years and now you're finally realizing it," Maya stated, cutting Riley off immediately.

"And who, pray tell, do you think this guy is?"

"Farkle," Maya shrugged her shoulders, removing her arm from Riley's and cheerfully skipping off to meet up with Lucas.

"Farkle?" Riley gasped, jaw dropping and eyes growing wide as she watched her best friend disappear, eager to go greet her boyfriend. " _Farkle?"_ She asked again in shock, making a face as she tried to figure out how the blonde's brain could possibly be working. "FARKLE?" She shouted, before taking off running after the tiny blonde, ready to demand answers and trying to shake off the idea.

* * *

"So, what are you doing after practice tonight?" Lucas asked, swinging an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders as soon as she approached him.

"Is that an invitation to the Friar's weekly family dinner? Because I would _kill_ for some of Mamma Friar's burritos," Maya grinned.

"Sorry to disappoint you, ma'am, but that was not what that was," Lucas admitted, playfully tipping an imaginary cowboy hat at her with a sly wink. "It was, instead, an invitation to a one-on-one date with yours truly," He flashed her a grin.

"Really?" Maya asked, furrowing her eyebrows together. "On family dinner night? Is your mom gonna be okay with that?" She wondered.

"She'll love the idea, especially when I throw in the fact that it's because you're officially my girlfriend. She's been waiting for that announcement since the day that she met you," Lucas reminded her.

"So….no burritos?" Maya pouted, sticking out her bottom lip.

"I'm trying to be all sweet and spontaneous and you're sort of wrecking the mood," Lucas frowned.

"I'm sorry….it's not that I don't want to go it's just….our last date? It didn't go so well…."Maya frowned, trailing off as she looked away from him.

"Hey," Lucas placed his other hand on her shoulder and turned her around so that she was facing him full on. "This isn't like last time, okay? It's all about you, just like it always should have been, understand?"

"What are you planning on doing tonight?"

"Uh…"

"Exactly," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Okay, new plan," Lucas smiled at her, ignoring her hostility. "We're going to go to my house for dinner just like we do every Wednesday night. And tomorrow night? I'm taking you out on a perfectly planned date that's going to blow you away," He promised her, staring directly into her blue eyes.

"Oh yeah?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I'm not that easy to impress," She reminded him.

"Oh, believe me, Maya Hart, I know _exactly_ how hard you are to impress," He grinned at her, sneaking in a quick peck on her lips before Riley managed to fight her way through the crowded hallways and reach the happy, newly formed couple.

"Maya Penelope Hart, you can _not_ just spring something like that on me and then run off as if nothing happened! That's not _nice,"_ Riley whined, stomping her foot on the ground.

Lucas groaned at the interruption, pulling back from Maya and tugging her closer into his side, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He wasn't going to flaunt his relationship with Maya in her face, but he wasn't going to try to hide the fact that he was dating the most amazing girl in the world either. Besides, Riley seemed so worked up about whatever was bothering her that there was no way she could be bothered by Lucas's affection towards the blonde.

"Spring something like what on you?" Lucas asked curiously.

"She said that I'm in love with Farkle!" Riley whined.

"Is that all?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows. "I thought we all already knew that," He shrugged.

"What?" Riley gasped. "You _dated_ me! You thought I was in love with Farkle and you dated me? That doesn't even make any sense, Lucas!"

"Are you forgetting that I was in love with Maya?" Lucas reminded her.

"Okay, fair enough. But, if you knew that I was in love with Farkle and that he was in love with me, why didn't you guys ever do anything about it? You guys were all just going to let us be with other people when we really wanted to be together? I don't think so. I don't know why you're trying to pull this joke on me, because it's not funny, but I'm not going to buy it," Riley told them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We're not messing with you, Riles," Maya rolled her eyes.

"And we didn't keep it from you. We just figured you guys didn't want to act on your feelings. They're _your_ feelings, after all," Lucas pointed out.

"I'm not in love with Farkle," Riley protested.

"You told him you loved him long before you ever said it to me," Lucas reminded her.

"It was a friendly gesture!"

"Whatever you say," Maya giggled, snuggling up closer to Lucas.

"Name one time where I acted like I was in love with Farkle!" Riley demanded.

"You promised to save him a dance at the seventh grade dance, despite the fact that all you really wanted was to go with Lucas," Maya stated quickly, without a second thought.

"You actually cheered for him when he was up to bat during the Halloween baseball game, despite the fact that he didn't even want to be playing and we all know that he sucks at sports and doesn't deserve to be cheered on," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"You went searching for him when he skipped classes during the Billy incident and flipped out when you found out he was being bulled. You got angrier than anybody else did about it and you were the one who was trying to comfort him the most, while Lucas and I tried just to make whoever said it all pay," Maya said cheerfully.

"Farkle asked who needed you and you put your arm around him and batted your eyelashes and flirted back with him by telling him that he knew that he needed you," Lucas said, shooting her a pointed look.

"That stuffed hippo is your favorite thing in the word. You love that hippo more than you ever loved that stupid bear," Maya added.

"You wore his orange turtleneck," Lucas cocked an eyebrow.

"Your creepy, gothic version of yourself was literally in love with Donnie Barnes," Maya said helpfully.

"You were willing to ditch Charlie and me to dance with Farkle at the semi-formal," Lucas reminded her.

"You comforted him when he thought that he had Aspergers and the two of you got fake-married when you thought Farkle was gonna get sent to a different school," Maya stated.

"You bought him ice cream!" Lucas shouted.

"You swore to him that you loved him exactly as he was," Maya replied, ignoring Lucas's outburst.

"It bothered you that he didn't seem to believe in your ability to be a scientist," Lucas added, trying to get back to his usual calm, okay-with-everything demeanor.

"You were there to comfort him when he was worried about his family's money," Maya chimed in.

"You referred to him as your hero because he "saved" you from drowning when you were bobbing for apples. And you told him that he turned into a handsome young man," Lucas recalled the story he had been told about when the girls had first met Farkle.

"You cried…you cried and you told me that you hoped that he always remembered that science wouldn't be able to replace love for him. You wanted to make sure that he always kept himself open to love…you know, that's when I first realized that you loved him," Maya admitted, speaking mostly to herself when it came to this particular memory.

"Okay, okay," Riley threw her hands up in front of her as a sign of surrender. "I only asked for one, you guys," She said, shooting the happy couple a glare.

"We couldn't pick just one," Lucas said, shrugging the shoulder that wasn't extended to wrap Maya tightly in his arms. "They're just all so adorable, right, Short-stack?" He flashed a smile down at the blonde beauty in his arms.

"I'm not in love with Farkle!" Riley whined. "And he's not in love with me," She pouted.

"That you trying to be tough?" Maya asked, raising her eyebrows.

Riley just lowered her head, staring at the ground as though ashamed of her actions. Maya knew it was really because she was just lost in thought, trying to figure out if what she and Lucas were saying was true.

"Awe," Maya and Lucas cooed together, the way they did whenever they thought Riley was being extra adorable.

"Stop," Riley whined.

"Listen," Maya rolled her eyes.

This ordeal was taking too long and she had to get to practice. And Lucas had to get to practice. And Riley should be in the journalism room to work on the copy of the school paper that would be coming out the following Monday. They needed to end everything and they needed to end it fast.

"You're in love with Farkle, and you can choose to accept it or not. He's in love with you and you can choose to accept that or not. I'm not going to stand here and say that you only get one chance at love, because that's ridiculous and foolish, and coming from me, it just seems even more ridiculous. So, you don't want to be in love with Farkle? Suppress your feelings and find somebody else. But, if by some off handed chance you want to give this thing a try? You better figure it out and figure it out soon, because I can forgive him for what he said to me if he's going to make my best friend happy. But Lucas won't forgive him for what he did to Smackle until Smackle forgives him, and Zay is gonna need a lot of convincing to forgive him. And who knows if Smackle ever will," Maya told Riley, every word coming out sharp and distinct.

She wasn't usually that hard on Riley, but this was something serious. It needed to be discussed and it had needed to be said. Riley had to know what choices were and what the consequences were if she chose to wait.

Riley stared back at Maya, with confusion, hurt, and annoyance filling her brown eyes. She needed Maya and she needed her immediately. She just needed a little bit of time with her best friend, in their secret place, to talk about everything. She needed Maya to listen and to give her advice.

But, even if Maya had the time to do that for her friend, she wasn't going to be able to give her what she wanted. She wouldn't tell her the same things that Riley wanted to hear. She wasn't going to miraculously change her mind and swear that Riley wasn't really in love with Farkle and that Farkle didn't really love Riley. That wasn't what was going to happen. The only things that were going to happen was the truth being revealed and Riley wouldn't want to hear that. She wanted anything but the truth.

"I just…I need some time to think," Riley shook her head, pushing past the couple and storming off down the hallways towards the journalism room.

"She's not mad at us, is she?" Lucas asked, starting to guide Maya towards the locker rooms so that they could get ready for practice.

"Of course not," Maya shook her head. "She's just confused and she wants somebody to tell her exactly what to do. But, she's not going to get that from me. I had to pick between you and Josh on my own and she has to figure out her feelings for Farkle on her own," Maya smirked up at her boyfriend, wrinkling her nose and scrunching her eyes.

"You know, you're lucky you're so adorable, or I would take offense to that comment," Lucas told her with a smile.

"Oh, don't be such a Huckleberry," Maya rolled her eyes.

"You're the one dating a Huckleberry," Lucas teased.

"And a Sundance, and a Hop-a-Long, too," Maya nodded her head in agreement.

"Being my girlfriend isn't going to make these nicknames stop anytime soon, is it?"

"You fell in love with me because of those nicknames," Maya reminded him. "I wouldn't be the she-devil you fell in love with if I stopped calling you them."

"Ain't that the truth," Lucas said, playing up his southern twang for her.

* * *

"Will you just tell me the truth?" Smackle asked Zay as the boy walked her towards the science lab, since she had practice for the Scholastic Decathlon team that afternoon. "Please, just tell me why this whole mess with Farkle bugs you so much? Because he's supposed to be one of your best friends and I don't want to be the reason you two stop being friends, so please make me feel better?" She pleaded.

Sometimes, Zay couldn't get over the change that had occurred in the beautiful, glossy haired genius girl. When he had first met her, he had found her to be one of the strangest girls he had ever seen.

She babbled on with big words that he couldn't understand. She refused to make any type of personal connections and physical contact was a definitive no, which was a hard concept to grasp for a hugger like him. She knew everything and anything and she didn't find any shame in that, the way Farkle sometimes did.

Isadora Smackle wasn't shy when it came to her comments about people. She refused to hide what she thought and she wasn't one to spare another person's feelings.

Brutally honest and harshly blunt-that was the best way to describe her, he was sure.

When Farkle had brought Smackle into their tight knit group and albeit forced her upon them, begging them to make sure that the gang welcomed her with open arms, it had been Maya who had been able to make the largest breakthroughs with her. While Riley went out of her way to help the girl feel accepted and find a place where she belonged, a lot of the time she seemed to be trying to change who Smackle really was.

Maya, however, had encouraged Smackle to continue to be her honest self, but had taught her ways to do so without coming off as a tactless bitch. She had taught her the wonders of sarcasm and worked with the brunette to hone into her deeper emotions.

Now, just a few short years later, Smackle acted like any other teenage girl who was overcome by her emotions. She was clingy with her boyfriend, often coming off as possessive. She was flirtatious with Zay and Lucas. She teased Riley right along with Maya and she comforted Maya whenever it was needed. She was aware of the feelings of others and she knew how to be sympathetic towards others. Sometimes her weird and awkward self came out, but it wasn't any stranger than when Riley became extra quirky.

And somewhere along the way, while Smackle had undergone her transformation, Zay had started to fall for her.

It wasn't the same as his crush on Maya.

His feelings for Maya were stemmed from the fact that she was the first person to truly attempt to talk to him when he moved to New York. She was like a female version of him and she had helped his best friend when he hadn't been able to.

He found Maya to be the most beautiful girl in the school had had given her the nickname of Hot Blonde Number 1.

But he also felt protective of her and loved his friendship with her. If she made a move on him-and if he wasn't terrified of Lucas, who had no idea about his feelings-he wouldn't turn her down. But he was pretty sure it would be awkward for them both, because overtime their relationship had turned into a sibling type of bond.

What he felt for Smackle went deeper and sometimes he wondered if maybe it was even love.

That was why it bothered him so much whenever he was reminded of Farkle's feelings for Riley.

He dealt with the fact that Farkle got Smackle, because at least the girl was happy. He could watch them without wanting to kill his buddy every time he touched the girl. He was able to accept it, because they were good together and it was what Smackle wanted. Who was he to tear her away from a guy that made her happy when she had no real interest in Zay himself?

But, he couldn't accept watching Farkle lead her on. Every reminder that Farkle wasn't over his feelings for Riley was another push in the wrong direction for Zay and eventually he was going to snap.

The previous night had been his finally breaking point, because Farkle had dared to mess with both of the girls that Zay cared about more than anybody else in the world. He had pushed Maya over the edge and made the strong blonde cry, something she rarely ever did. And he was leading on Smackle despite the fact that his feelings for Riley seemed to be growing stronger.

"Because I can't stand the fact that he's been doing this to you for years. I let it go when Riley was with Lucas, because I think he really did like you and maybe he could have loved you eventually. Riley had Lucas and that seemed to be a forever kind of thing. Farkle had feelings for you and I wanted to believe that he was with you because he was getting over Riley and starting to feel that for you. But he would never say things like to Maya if he wasn't still in love with Riley. And knowing that he was still going to play with your feelings? I couldn't let him hurt two of my favorite girls," Zay explained sheepishly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and raising his shoulders up to his ears as he walked.

He couldn't admit to Smackle that he loved her. She didn't feel the same way and he couldn't put that type of pressure on her. It just wasn't right.

"She's a lucky girl," Smackle said, flashing Zay a smile.

"What?"

"Maya," She said simply. "She's got Lucas, and that's what she's always wanted. And she had Josh and he's a catch by anybody's standards. But…she has you, and she doesn't even know it. She doesn't even know how lucky she is, because she has you to always be on the sidelines, silently looking out for her," Smackle said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Zay wondered, stopping outside of the chemistry lab and leaning against the doorframe with a frown.

"I'm talking about the fact that you're in love with Maya," Smackle laughed, running a hand through her long, beautifully glossy, dark hair.

"I'm not in love with Maya," Zay laughed right back, appalled by the idea.

"Whatever you need to keep telling yourself," Smackle shook her head, rolling her eyes with an amused smile on her face. "Still up for your tutoring tonight? I should be done around the same time as you today because we have a big competition Saturday, so maybe you could come over to my house for dinner and we'll study there?" She wondered.

"Yeah, that would be great," Zay smiled, choosing to let her believe whatever she wanted to believe.

Sometimes it amazed him. The fact that Smackle could know so much about everything, yet she didn't seem to understand anything about emotions or people. She was a genius when it came to science and math. She could memorize entire history books. But, she had no idea how to comprehend a person's feelings or piece together their thoughts.

It sort of made him feel smart, because that was the one thing that Zay always got right. He was more than capable of understanding people. It was what he was the best at.

"Perfect! Meet me here after your practice? I get sort of caught up in my experiments sometimes," She admitted sheepishly.

You're such a little nerd," Zay shook his head.


	22. Gimme Some Lucaya

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 22: Gimme Some Lucaya **

_**A/U: Because I felt like being super cute for this chapter before I dive into the rest of the drama that's sure to come.**_

* * *

"You're seriously okay with forgiving Farkle?" Lucas asked as soon as Maya crawled into the passenger's seat of his truck after practice.

"Of course I don't want to forgive him," Maya rolled her eyes, flapping down the visor so that she could stare at her reflection. "But if Riley's in love with him and wants to give him a chance, I need to support her. Its what friends do," She reminded him, tugging her hair from its ponytail and playing with the pieces so that it would look okay for their dinner with his mother.

"We don't even know if Riley really is in love with him. We really shouldn't push too much," Lucas reminded her.

"She's in love with him," Maya stated.

"But…what if she's not? What if we're putting this idea into her head?"

"She's in love with Farkle, Lucas. I don't know why you're fighting me on this so strongly. She's in love with him and she always has been. You were supporting me on it in the hallway before practice," She pointed out, leaning in close to the mirror as she checked her makeup.

"Yeah, but…Zay's really mad at him."

"You're going to stand by and let Riley have her heart broken all over again because Zay's mad at Farkle for no reason?" Maya gasped.

"He's mad at Farkle for making you cry!"

"I'm willing to forgive him, why can't Zay?"

"Because he used Smackle, too!"

"Yeah, but Smackle's gonna be over it in a day. She's always like that," Maya shrugged.

"So what? Why is everything okay in your mind as long as Riley's happy? Why does everything get excused if it means that Riley's happy? You don't owe her anything, Maya. And just because you and I are together, it doesn't mean that you have to do everything you can to get Riley into a new relationship," Lucas said, slamming his hand against the steering wheel to emphasis his point.

"I'm not saying it's okay…I'm just saying that Farkle's been one of my best friends since I was little. It's not easy being mad at him, even when he seriously screwed up. And if two of my best friends are going to be happy as a couple, I'm not going to stand by and try to stop them from being together, even if I'm slightly annoyed with how one of them spoke to me. I forgive my friends for anything, Lucas, you know that," She fought back, slamming the visor back up.

"You don't have to make everybody else happy. He hasn't even tried to apologize to you," Lucas said, clenching the steering wheel tighter. "If you want to forgive him, whatever. But at least wait for him to make some sort of an effort that shows that he wants to be forgiven. And don't expect Zay and me to just stand there and forgive him immediately. Not after what he did to you," Lucas glared at the road in front of him, trying not to focus on the horrible things Farkle had said the night before.

Maya was quiet while she sat there, taking in what Lucas was saying.

She didn't want to spend their first night as a couple fighting, but she needed him to understand. She needed him to know that she had to forgive Farkle-she needed all of them to forgive Farkle-because Riley needed to be happy. If Riley wasn't happy, it meant that Maya had failed as a best friend.

If Maya continued to be happy with Lucas while Riley sat on the sidelines in a daze, missing her own chance at a happy relationship, it made her selfish. She couldn't do that to Riley-take away her boyfriend and hinder her chances at a better relationship. Not after everything that Riley had always done for her. Because Lucas was wrong when he said that she didn't owe Riley anything. Maya owed Riley more than anybody could ever know.

And Riley did love Farkle. Maya knew that she did. She had always known it and it was why she had always joked about the two of them being together. She had always pushed for it, because she had known that the two of them loved one another and belonged together.

It was because of that knowledge that Maya hadn't been able to push aside her feelings for Lucas. Eventually, Riley was going to leave Lucas for Farkle, so why should Maya force herself to find somebody better than Lucas when there really never would be somebody as amazing as him. Josh was a close second, and she loved him in her own way, but he was not Lucas and the feelings were not the same.

But, to the outsider, Maya was going to be the slut. She was the whore that stole Riley's boyfriend-her best friend's boyfriend. And she was going to remain with that title until Riley found somebody knew. And the sooner Riley found somebody knew, the better it would be for them all. And if it was Farkle? All of the rude remarks people could make about Maya would fade away. They'd disappear and the people who had dared speak them would immediately regret what they had said.

New things would be said about Maya, and those things would be better. They would be compliments and words of praise.

Maybe she shouldn't care about what people said about her, but she did. Especially when it came to her relationship with Lucas. She did not want a single negative word to be said about her relationship with Lucas, because it was the most cherished relationship that she had in her life.

She would never admit it to anybody, but she cared more about her relationship with Lucas than she did her friendship with Riley. Because she lived in constant fear of losing Lucas. She had almost lost him once already. Riley was a solid force in her life. Nothing was going to separate the two friends, so she had no reason to worry. Sure, it was precious to her, but she didn't need to do everything in her power to protect it, the way that she felt she had to with her relationship with Lucas.

"Maya?" Lucas asked, voice soft as he released one hand from the wheel and reached out to take one of her tiny hands in his own. "Are you okay? I hope that I didn't upset you. I just hate when you get so protective of everybody else and forget to take care of yourself. I worry about you," he told her, shooting her a quick, reassuring look.

"Nobody's ever cared about me before…it's always been _me,_ worrying about everybody else in my life," She said, leaning her head against the window.

"Well, newsflash?" He grinned, giving her hand a tight squeeze. "I care and I'm always going to put you first," he promised her.

"I don't need you to protect me, Huckleberry. I'm a tough girl and I don't need some sort of Prince Charming to come into the picture and try to take me away on his white horse. I already know that I'm not a princess," She rolled her eyes.

"Don't talk like that," He ordered. "Never say that, because you deserve a guy who is going to try to sweep you off of your feet. And every girl deserves a prince charming. I'm never going to try to whisk you away, but I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure that you have everything you've ever deserved in life, whether you like it or not," He assured her.

"I'm just saying that I'm not a damsel in distress and I'm not a princess," she grumbled.

"You're my princess," He shrugged.

"Pull over," Maya snapped, pulling her hand away from Lucas's and crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?"

"Pull over," Maya barked. "I thought when I dumped the smoothie on your head back in eighth grade because you tried to pull the same line on me that you pulled on Riley, you'd get the hint that I don't want our relationship to be like the one you two had. I'm not going to be the same as she is and the same crap won't work on me!"

"Is that what you think?"

"What else am I supposed to think?"

"Do you know why I told you that I once helped a horse give birth?" Lucas asked, an amused smile on his face.

"Because it made Riley think you were some kind of angel?"

"Riley thought that knowing that meant she knew me. I knew that if I told you that, you would just roll your eyes and be annoyed at how much of a Huckleberry I was. I did it because you were acting so much like Riley and acting like you thought I'd only like you if you were like her. But, I liked you because you were _you,_ and I needed to somehow get the Maya Hart that I loved to come out," Lucas explained.

"That doesn't even make any sense," Maya rolled her eyes. "And that doesn't explain how you said that she was a princess to you and that I'm your princess," She reminded him.

"She also asked me if I'd call her Princess Dancing Sunshine or some bullshit like that, but I refused to call her something so ridiculous. If you wanted me to call you that? I'd do it in a heartbeat. It drove her insane that I called you an Amazon Warrior Princess, you know," He told her honestly.

"I just don't…I don't want there to be an us just because you think that I can be like Riley," she whispered, lowering her head.

"I was with Riley because I thought that I had to be. I thought that she and I were meant to be and that it was fate. And I thought that because of when she fell on my lap in the subway. When I found out that you were the one that pushed her, I started to question everything and I let my feelings for you take over, because my feelings for Riley were based on a lie," Lucas explained.

"Why do you like me?"

"There was this campfire, you see. You and me in a faraway place. There were a billion stars in the sky," he said, shotting her a teasing grin.

"Don't use my words against me! That's the second time you've done that today," She pouted. "I asked you a serious question. I want a real answer," She insisted.

"Maya, I like you because you're _you._ I can talk to you about anything. You aren't afraid to tease me. You keep me grounded. You always believe in me, but you aren't afraid to tell me when I'm being an idiot and about to get myself killed. You're the best friend in the world. You're an incredible artist. You're stunningly beautiful. You don't let anybody affect you. You're one of a kind, Maya, and I'd be an idiot not to like you."

"It's not just because you only know, like, five girls?" She teased.

"Fuck what Riley said about you marrying the only five guys you know," Lucas snapped. "Yogi and Farkle and Josh and Zay can back the fuck off because you aren't going to marry any of those fuckers. And you're not going to marry Charlie and it sickens me that she even considered putting him on your list. That was a horrible thing for her to say to you."

"She was just joking," Maya shook her head, a small smile on her face.

"No, she wasn't. She wanted to make sure that you knew that she was going to marry me and she wanted to rub it in that she would get me and you would just go around accepting love from whoever would give it to you, even if it wasn't real. She was using your fear of being like your mom in relationships against you," Lucas said darkly, once again clenching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Lucas, it was a joke," Maya insisted.

"Like it was when she asked us all of we liked Jexica more than you? It made me so angry, especially since we all knew it was her. You knew it was her. And then she thought she could use Jexica to end the triangle? I only did all that because I wanted to make it obvious that I knew. You knew that I knew, because you actually know me," Lucas muttered.

"They were jokes, Lucas. I made plenty of jokes about her, you know," Maya shrugged.

"You asked me how you were in a triangle with her when she was searching the hallways for a bird. The same joke that Farkle pulled on her a year beforehand. It was funny. We all laughed, despite the tensions that she was causing," Lucas said.

"Do you suddenly have some sort of vendetta against Riley?"

"I just don't think that she always treats you the way that you should be treated."

Maya was quiet again, thinking about what he had said.

Nobody had ever questioned Riley's role in their friendship. They had always taken her rude remarks as being a joke, and focused just a little too much on the teasing comments Maya made about Riley.

No matter what Maya did to help Riley through any problems the brunette faced, people were always quick to believe that Riley was the perfect friend and Maya was the one who didn't deserve to have the brunette's friendship. Riley was, after all, the star of the show and the all around golden child.

And it wasn't like Maya thought Riley was a bad friend. She didn't believe that either of them were bad friends. She actually thought that they were the two best friends in the world and that anybody would be lucky to have either one of them as a friend.

But, it was nice that somebody finally acted as though Maya wasn't a criminal. That Maya wasn't some horrible person who insulted Riley and put her in bad situations. That Riley wasn't the golden child who was able to do anything and everything.

Lucas saw them both for who they were and he looked at things from a different side. For once, there was somebody in Maya's life who was biased towards her, without any ties of loyalty towards Riley. Lucas was never going to think that Maya did anything wrong, unless she actually was acting ridiculous, she way she had when he had called her a "short stack of pancakes".

He wasn't going to make excuses for Riley and say that she was joking when he believed that she had said something to be hurtful. Or that her joke had been inappropriate.

"I don't think she was trying to hurt me," Maya said with a smile, staring out the window so that Lucas didn't see how happy his statement made her.

"I think that she thought she was being funny, but I also think that she knew, deep down, that the jokes were going to affect you. She knew after everything that happened when the yearbooks came out that you were insecure about people liking Riley more than they liked you. And she still asked if all of your friends liked her internet alter ego more than they liked you," Lucas explained.

"It doesn't matter…it's over with," Maya shrugged.

"But it does matter! Why do you let her talk to you like that?"

"Because I knew that you were in love with me!" Maya blurted out.

"What?"

"I knew you wanted me and I lied. I lied to everybody and everyone, including myself. I didn't want to believe it, so I didn't. But, I knew, deep down. And I felt guilty about it. I felt like this horrible friend for keeping it a secret. So, I let everything that Riley did that hurt me slide, because it didn't matter. I was stealing her boyfriend, so she could insult me all she wanted," Maya whispered.

"My feelings for you weren't you fault," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"It's in the past, Huckleberry," Maya sighed. "Can we please just focus on you and me? On our relationship and our future? Because that's really all that matters to me," she flashed him a warm smile.

"Oh, we can _definitely_ do that," He smirked, pulling into the parking lot of apartment building and directly into his usual parking space.

"Why are you smiling like that?" She frowned, unbuckling her seatbelt and moving to get out of the car.

"Stop," He ordered, reaching out and wrapping his hand around her forearm, pulling her closer to him.

"What are you doing?" She giggled.

"This," He smirked, leaning in close to her and pressing his lips against hers, shoving her up against the car door behind her.

She giggled against his lips, ands resting against his shoulders as she slid herself closer to him, enjoying the way that it felt to kiss him without having to keep it a secret. Enjoying the feeling of knowing that she could kiss him whenever she wanted and that there was nothing wrong with the pair of them kissing one another.

"Alright," She giggled, as she pulled away, turning her head slightly so that she could catch her breathe.

Lucas ignored her, and started to kiss a trial from her mouth, down to the nap of her neck, right where it met her shoulders. She giggled at the contact and tried to push him away from her as she spoke.

"Ranger Rick, knock it off," She said between giggles. "We need to go inside because those tacos are calling my name and your mom is going to start to get worried."

"I just want to do this," He muttered against her skin.

"We have all night to do this," she promised.

"I'm holding you to that."

* * *

Farkle was wrong.

He knew that he was wrong.

And if there was one thing that Farkle hated, it was when he was wrong.

It didn't happen often, and when he happened to be wrong, it made things that much worse on him. He despised those moments and he held onto the bitterness about them for much longer than necessary. He was still angry with Mr. Matthews for telling him that he was wrong about the math equation involving the car wash.

The only thing worse for Farkle when he was wrong was when he was wrong about something that couldn't be scientifically or mathematically proven. When there was nobody to tell him exactly what his mistake was and teach him about the proper procedure, he was at a complete loss, because it meant that he was bound to fail again in the future. It meant that he was going to make the same mistake all over again and feel the same awful feeling in the bottom of his stomach all over again.

And the current problem involved Farkle being wrong and lacked a correct answer.

Because he was wrong about how to be a friend. He was wrong in what he had said to Maya. He had been hurtful and cruel and he had been acting on impulse because of his feelings towards Riley.

And he was wrong when it came to being a boyfriend. He had been wrong to make Smackle believe that he truly loved her when he was actually in love with Riley. That was cruel and it was horrid. It was the type of thing that low life guys did, and he had thought that it was okay because Lucas was doing the same.

But he had been wrong there as well, because his actions in leading a girl on had been far different than Lucas's actions when it came to the situation.

He had even been wrong when Zay had tried to talk to him the night before. He had been wrong in trying to defend himself and in lying to his supposed best friend. He had been wrong to scream at Zay and try to act like he had no clue what he was talking about.

In general, Farkle had been wrong.

He was wrong about more than he had ever been wrong about in his entire life. And he absolutely hated the feeling of being so wrong.

It was worse than his face had felt after Zay and Lucas had kicked his ass the night before. It was worse than the feeling that Billy had filled him with after trying to make him feel like he was a nothing. It was worse than every single time Smackle had beaten him at anything in their life and it was worse than when he realized he wasn't the smartest kid in class in high school anymore.

He needed to try to apologize to Maya.

Starting with Maya was the best way to go. He had hurt Smackle the most, but he couldn't start there because she was going to need the most time to get over everything. Maya was probably sitting there fighting with Lucas about whether or not to forgive Farkle.

All it would take was an apology from Farkle and Maya would immediately accept it, because she loved all of her friends and would do anything to keep their group intact. Besides, she would also be able to figure out that Farkle truly meant the apology that he was giving her and that would be enough for her. She would forgive him and Lucas would respect his apology and forgive Farkle for hurting Maya as well, especially when the blonde had already forgiven the boy.

Then he just had to worry about Zay forgiving him. Riley would do exactly what the rest of her friends did. Zay would take work and some of that would involve figuring out why Zay was so angry with him for everything. Because there had to be some reason that went deeper than his protectiveness towards Maya or his valued friendship towards Smackle. He knew that there was more too it than the fact that Zay prided himself in being the perfect Southern gentleman.

But, he was going to start with Maya because that was the best way to do anything.

He rolled over in his round, king-sized bed and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. Rolling back onto his back, he unlocked the phone and started to scroll through his contacts until he found Maya's name. He tapped the screen once more and placed the ringing phone to his ear, holding his breathe as he waited for an answer.

"Speak fast because Mamma Friar just made me delicious graham cracker chocolate chip cookies to celebrate the fact that I'm officially dating Ranger Rick and if you delay me from eating them fresh out of the oven, you're a dead man," Maya said, the same playful humor to her voice that was always present when she spoke to Farkle.

It made him smile, even though he knew a part of the reason for Maya's excitement was because of her newfound relationship with Lucas and because of the cookies she was about to consume. Still, it was nice to know that she wasn't angry enough with Farkle to turn completely sour because of his name popping up on her calling ID. It gave him a little bit of hope and it was something to believe in.

"I'm sorry for everything that I said to you the other night. It wasn't fair of me. I always put Riley before you and that's not right. Even though I'm in love with her, it's not okay that I put her feelings before yours, because you never once put anybody else's feelings before mine. Our friendship is supposed to be on completely equal ground and I haven't been pulling my weight since New Years back in the eighth grade," Farkle said, rushing all of the words out in the same breath had been holding while waiting for an answer to the phone call.

He needed to get it out fast and without any interruptions or he would never say any of it. He would never get it out and the phone call would have made things worse for them.

"It's fine," Maya said casually. "We're all good. I promise-but, Zay and Lucas are going to take a little bit more convincing than I need to forgive you. I'll work on them, though," She said and he could picture the smile taking over her face.

"You always forgive me so easily," Farkle grinned.

"Of course I do," Maya rolled her eyes. "One day, I'm going to be the Maid of Honor at your wedding to my best friend. That's going to be super awkward if I hate you, don'cha think?" She asked him with a slight giggle.

"You're something else, Maya Hart," he laughed.

"That's why you love me," She sing-songed. "Now, those cookies are totally calling my name, so I'm going to go finish off a dozen and cuddle with my boyfriend while looking through baby albums to totally humiliate him," She said cheerfully.

"You're the best friend I've ever had; you know that right?"

"Of course I do," Maya said and he was sure she was rolling her eyes. "Do me one favor? And then you can consider yourself completely forgiven and we can act like the other night never happened. Just…figure out a way to tell Riley how you feel and do it soon, okay?"

"She doesn't feel the same."

"You'll never know until you ask."

* * *

"What?"

Maya and Lucas were sitting on the couch in Lucas's living room with their homework in front of them as Maya helped Lucas study for the chemistry test he had the next day.

The tiny blonde had her back up against the arm of the couch, her legs sprawled out in front of her and resting in Lucas's lap as she sat with her head bent, scanning through her color coded notes for the chapter.

Lucas was sitting besides her, back upright with his flashcards in his hands as he flipped through them. But, he was barely paying any attention to his study guides, because his eyes were locked on Maya. He was trying to be discreet about it with small glances, just from the corner of his eyes, but she knew exactly what she was doing and she finally broke, unable to maintain the amused smile she had kept the entire time, finding his actions adorable.

"What?" He asked, blushing slightly as his sheepish smile formed, developing his dimples. He ducked his head, looking away from her and tried to appear as though he was completely innocent.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked, throwing he notebook to the side.

"Because...you're sort of beautiful. Has anybody ever told you that before?" He asked, looking up at her with a smile.

"And you're sort of a Huckleberry," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Are you ever going to tell me what that means?" He groaned, throwing his head back against the couch.

"Take a look in the mirror and see for yourself," She shrugged, leaning over the edge of the couch to try to pick her notebook back up.

"Nope," Lucas shook his head, wrapping his hands around her ankles and pulling her closer to him.

"What are you doing? I'm trying to study," She giggled.

"It's hard to take you seriously when you're laughing," He said, climbing on top of her and smiling down at her.

"Your mom's in the other room," she whispered, not to try to be sneaky, but because she was breathless from their position-one that they had never quite been in before and one that excited her on a whole new level, because she hadn't even been in that position with Josh before.

"She's not gonna come out here-she loves the fact that we're dating," Lucas assured her, leaning in close to her.

"But what if she needs to get something from the kitchen or run to the bathroom? She'll walk right past us and she's not going to trust us or like me anymore," She insisted.

"Maya," Lucas sighed, leaning further back and staring down at her with a worried expression. "Do you not want me to kiss you right now? Do you not want to make out with me right me? Because we don't have to do anything that you're going to be uncomfortable with," He said gently.

"It's just…."She trailed off, giving herself a moment's pause.

She was exactly sure why it was suddenly bothering her so much. She was sure that she would have had the feelings regardless of the situation they were currently in. She was sure that even Lucas felt those feelings at times. But, she couldn't help but feel insecure about her feelings of insecurity.

Maya Hart was not insecure. She never doubted herself, not even for a moment. Yet she was so nervous about not only asking the question to Lucas, but to also make any moves forward in her relationship with him, despite the fact that she had been waiting for a relationship with Lucas for years.

"Just what?" He asked, pushing himself off of her and sitting up straight, turning to face her on the couch.

Maya sighed, lifting herself into a sitting position and tucking her legs beneath her. Her head was low, so that she could avoid eye contact with Lucas, and she was using her hair as a shield, creating a curly blonde curtain between the two of them so that he couldn't watch her reactions.

"You know that you can tell me anything," He said, his voice kind and gentle.

"Did you do this sort of stuff with Riley?" She blurted out, head shooting up so that she could face him directly and watch his reaction.

His eyes widened and he leaned back slightly. His jar dropped just a bit and he looked completely taken aback by the question being asked. And then his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth turned down into a frown. And then he started to laugh.

"Is that what you think? You think I did all this sort of stuff with Riley and now I expect it with you?" He asked her.

"I mean, II am the more experienced one between me and Riley, and if you did this all with her, it would make sense that you would expect me to do the same, if not more," She shrugged, knowing how ridiculous it sounded and hating herself for worrying about it at all.

"Maya, I never did this with Riley, okay? First of all, we barely ever got a second alone. Second of all, she was way too insecure and nervous about everything to make any sort of big steps. And thirdly? I didn't want to do intimate stuff with her," He explained.

"So you guys never….you know," she lowered her head again.

"Don't you think you'd know if Riley had slept with me? Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I hooked up with Riley and immediately left to go spend the night in your room?" He asked, shooting her a teasing grin to try to lighten the mood.

Maya giggled, but she was still refusing to look at him.

"What brought all of this on? Josh never tried to pressure you into moving too fast, did he?" Lucas asked, eyes narrowing and expression hardening.

"No, no, no," Maya assured, looking up at Lucas. "He was the perfect gentleman and he always let me set the pace," She promised.

"Oh…so, uh….did you and Josh ever….you know?" Lucas asked, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck, staring down at the carpet below him.

"No," Maya said. "We never made out lying down and that party where you fought him was the first time we did anything super intimate. He wanted to keep things moving slow, because he never wanted to pressure me, and well….I think he was worried about things going too far with the age gap," Maya confessed.

"Well," Lucas said, brightening up at the news as he leaned in closer to Maya, putting their faces close. "We don't have to worry about that, do we?" He smirked.

"I don't know, Ranger Rick," Maya shrugged, her tone playful. "You _are_ a whole year older than me," She said with wide eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Unless you're about to ha-hurr me, shut up and kiss me," He shook his head, closing the distance between them and kissing her through their laughter.


	23. Riarkle Bound

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 23: Riarkle Bound **

_**A/N: So, I leave tomorrow for California for a month. I'll try to update as often as I can while I'm gone but the updates most likely won't be that frequent. So, I have a proposition for you guys. What I can do, rather than try to get decent chapters that move the plotline along for this series in the limited amount of writing time I'll have, is start a one-shot series that'll be based mostly on song-fics (mostly Lucaya but a few that are focused on the friendship of all six teenagers) and a few prompts given to me by you guys. Or I could do a series of one-shots that make random scenes from the canon fit into this series, whichever you'd prefer. If you would be interested in that, leave me your thoughts in the reviews! I definitely won't just be forgetting this story, no matter what I do, but I don't want you guys to think I disappeared because I'll probably only get a few chapters out. The one-shots take far less time to put together for me, so at least then I can give you something in between updates of this story. Let me know what you guys think in your reviews because I obviously care about what you want!**_

* * *

"Zay, listen, I know that I was awful to Maya and I know that I was being cruel to Smackle and I know how much that all bothers you, because of how much the girls each mean to you, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry because I was wrong and I really hope that we can move past this, because our friendship means the world to me," Farkle said, not caring that Zay wasn't facing him or aware of his presence at all.

If he had tried to get Zay's attention before going into the apology, Zay was going to walk away and leave. He would then do his best to avoid Farkle and he would never hear what he had to say to him. So, it was important that Farkle got it all out as quickly as he possibly could. That way, Zay at least heard the words and would be forced to deal with what had been said by the nerdier boy.

And eventually, the words would eat away at him. The result would be that Zay would come and talk to Farkle and they would be able to work everything out. They'd be okay and things would work out. Farkle would have his friends back.

"That's your apology?" Zay asked, slamming his locker shut.

"Uh….yeah?" Farkle wondered, confused as to where Zay was trying to go with this.

"Do you even know why any of what you did annoyed me so much?" Zay snapped, whirling around and glaring at Farkle. "I'm not a violent person, but when it comes to something like _this?_ Dude, look at your face. I did that-because you got me so angry I couldn't even think straight."

"What do you want me to say? I apologized. I know I was wrong," Farkle frowned.

"You apologized," Zay repeated flatly. "You knew that what you did was wrong. Do you know _why_ it was wrong? And this isn't the first time something like this has happened, in case you forgot," Zay reminded him.

"New Years on the rooftop was completely different than this!"

"How? You still put Riley's feelings for Maya's feelings. You still tried to make sure that Riley got whatever she wanted and ignored the girl that you were with," Zay pointed out.

"And why is it different with me? Lucas did the same thing, but you're standing there lecturing me about everything that I did wrong. Why is it always okay when he does it?" Farkle asked, starting to grow angry.

"There you go again, getting all pissed off because you don't like what people are telling you. You're so fast to attack everybody else that you don't even care that you're throwing your friends under the bus. That's not cool, Farkle, and that's another part of the reason that I want to punch you in the face," Zay snarled, grabbing onto the strap of his backpack tightly, pulling it higher up on his shoulder.

"You're never going to forgive me, are you?" Farkle asked.

"Why should I?"

"It's not even me you should really be mad at. It's Lucas. He's the one dating the girl you're in love with. And how do you think he'd like knowing that his best friend is obsessed with his girlfriend? The love of his life?"

"Are you trying to blackmail me? Well, good luck with that, because you're absolutely wrong about all of this. You're wrong, because I'm not in love with _Maya,"_ Zay exclaimed.

"Then why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"Because I'm in love with _Smackle!"_ Zay barked.

It was silent in the hallway after that. The two boys just stared at one another as Zay's eyes grey wide in terror as to what he had just confessed. He began to frantically search around the hallways, as though terrified that Isadora had been around to hear his confession. His mouth snapped shut and his expression remained one of shock and frustration.

Farkle just stared at Zay without an expression, trying to take in and comprehend everything that had just been said between the two boys. Trying to wrap his head around the words that Zay had just shouted at him.

"You're in love with Smackle?" Farkle repeated, the words emotionless and blunt, cutting through the air.

"And you're in love with Riley," Zay challenged.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I fell in love with her long after you and her started dating, Farkle. It wouldn't have been right. I would have literally been stealing your girlfriend. And I realized it right after the Maya, Lucas and Riley triangle ended. The last thing any of us needed was another triangle," Zay lowered his head.

"You know….all this time you knew that I was secretly in love with Riley. And you were in love with Smackle and….you just let it happen because you valued our friendship that much?"

"Now just _our_ friendship. The one with Lucas and Riley and Maya and Smackle, too." Zay shrugged.

"If I had known….I would have stepped back. Isadora deserves to be happy and you could make her happy. I see the way she acts with you. She's different…so much different from the awkward girl I met years ago," he said, an amused smile on his face as he spoke.

"You really would have let me be with her?"

"Zay, I'm currently encouraging you to be with her, whether you forgive me or not," Farkle chuckled.

"Come here," Zay laughed, arms thrown out as he accepted a hug from the only other male he would ever allow to be in his embrace when they were in public.

Just like the, their friendship was restored and the both of them immediately began to develop their plans to get Zay and Smackle together. Nothing else really mattered, because the two of them were friends again and Maya had forgiven Farkle as well. Lucas and Riley would immediately follow suit and once Smackle had Zay, everything would be okay.

* * *

"Will you just _talk_ to me about it?"

Riley winced as the door to the school almost slammed right into her face. She was following closely behind Maya and Lucas, who had brought her to school that morning, but she had been so busy searching for the rest of her friends in an effort to get away from the couple that she had ignored the door being pulled back harshly.

"What's there to talk about?"

From the second Maya and Riley had crawled into Lucas's truck that morning, the couple had been fighting. Riley wasn't even sure what the two of them were fighting about. She just knew that they were fighting and she was sick and tired of hearing it.

"Why was it in your closet? Why do you have that ridiculous thing framed and saved like it's so special to you?"

"What were you even doing in my closet? God, Lucas, it's not a big deal. It was just a fucking painting. It was the first painting that I made in my high school career and maybe I'm a little proud of it? Did you ever stop to think about that? Maybe I don't care about any of the nonsense that went along with it. Maybe it's just a painting that I'm proud of because it started my career!"

"I was trying to see what the hell was taking you so long while you got ready!"

"What are you two even fighting about?" Riley snapped.

Her sudden outburst, the first words she had said since getting in the truck, startled the couple and caused them to stop. The two attractive blondes turned towards Riley and stared at her in shock and confusion.

"Well?" Riley asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Do you remember that stupid painting I made last year?"

"The one with the purple cat?" Riley pouted in adoration for one of her favorite works by Maya.

"Yeah," Maya nodded.

"Not the one from her final," Lucas shook his head. The one that she painted in the second week of classes," He rolled his eyes.

"The one with all the blobs?" Riley's eyes widened.

"Yeah, _that_ one," Lucas said darkly.

"I don't get why it's such a big deal!" Maya exclaimed

"Peaches, that painting was everything that you _aren't,"_ Riley said gently. "It was from one of your darkest times," She reminded her.

"Just because I keep a picture that I wanted a year ago doesn't mean that I'm going to go back to being the person I was when I painted it. I know that I was acting stupid, but it's just a painting and I don't get why it bothers you so much!"

"Because in the entire time that you were acting like Riley last year, you ha-hurred me _once_ and I can't think of a single time you called me one of those stupid nicknames!" Lucas snapped.

"What?" Maya froze.

"What?" Riley wondered.

"You weren't the Maya that I fell for. You stopped being that confident and hilariously brave girl who came up to me on the subway and told me that we were dating for thirty seconds. You weren't the girl that came up to me on the first day of high school and ha-hurred me for thirty seconds straight. You weren't the the girl who called me Huckleberry and made fun of me for being from Texas. You weren't _my_ Maya," he whispered.

"That's why you picked me…."Riley trailed off, realizing what had happened.

"He picked you because I started dating Josh," Maya whispered.

"No," Lucas shook his head. "I could have fought for you. I could have tried to win you back. And it wasn't because you made me promise to give a relationship with Riley a fighting chance. I picked Riley because when you had Josh, the old Maya came back. I would rather be with Riley, who was acting like herself, then risk losing the Maya Hart that I really loved," he lowered his head in shame.

"You liked us both for who we were individually," Riley said, flashing him a reassuring smile. "That's pretty sweet, Lucas," She said honestly.

"And I hate that stupid painting because not only was I too caught up in trying to make a decision when you hit your breaking point, but this painting was when you really started to spiral out of control," Lucas said, closing the distance between him and Maya and wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her close.

"I'm not going anywhere, Huckleberry," Maya told him, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. "That's why I keep that painting-to remind me that, during that time, I wasn't the real me and I wasn't being true to myself," She smiled.

"You know…the real Maya Hart wouldn't waste this opportunity right now to-"

"Ha-hurr!" She beamed, leaning in close to his face.

And Lucas leaned in as well, meeting her halfway as he pressed his lips against hers, doing exactly what he had wanted to do in Texas all those years ago. His hands left her waist and cupped her face, to hold her in place, and then he was leaning in and their lips were pressed together.

"I…uh…I'm just gonna leave you guys to your morning now," Riley said awkwardly as the pair continued to kiss, right in the middle of the hallway. "Yeah…I'll just be going now…"She trailed off before taking off at a near spring towards her locker, not even caring that she was wandering the halls on her own, because she couldn't stand watching the couple anymore.

It wasn't that she was jealous of them being together. She just couldn't stand watching any couple stand in a public place and kiss that way. It made her feel uncomfortable because she was sure she would never feel confident enough in herself to be able to kiss her boyfriend in public. She wasn't that girl.

* * *

"Just ask her out," Farkle insisted as the boys made their way through the cafeteria, side by side, clutching onto their lunch trays.

"I can't," Zay shook his head. "She deserves something bigger than that. Something grander," he told Farkle adamantly.

"Smackle isn't like that. She doesn't go for the big gestures. She likes to keep things simple and put as little emotion into everything as possible. And she absolutely hates to be the center of attention. You know that," Farkle pointed out.

"But…I want to make her feel special. She watches Maya and Riley get all these amazing things and get so much attention from guys. Lucas wasn't even in love with Riley and he treated her like she walked on water. Smackle shouldn't have to watch her friends get treated like princesses and settle for scraps of attention herself," Zay rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying you can't spoil her. I'm just saying you shouldn't go all out, because she'd rather have something sentimental," Farkle explained patiently.

"Well, what do you suggest I do?" Zay sighed, dropping his tray down at a table by a large window on the left hand side of the cafeteria, directly at the center of the wall. "Give me your genius ideas," He said somewhat sarcastically, but mostly in defeat.

"Just ask her out. Walk up to her and tell her that you love her. And then ask her on a date," Farkle stated as though it were the most obvious idea in the world.

"I can't just-"

Zay was cut off by Lucas's arrival at the table.

The muscular teen dropped his tray onto the table next to Zay's and slid into the seat besides his best friend, stabbing a chicken nugget with his fork and dipping it into some honey mustard sauce. Then, he lifted it to his mouth. Before even taking a bite, however, he stopped and stared between the two other males at the table, lowering his fork as his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth formed a small frown.

"What?"

"Zay's in love with Smackle," Farkle stated bluntly.

"Why'd you have to say it like that? Why'd you have to just blurt it out?" Zay groaned.

"Because it's the truth," Farkle shrugged.

"Wait, hold up," Lucas shook his head, dropping the fork onto his tray, the chicken nugget still on the end. "You're in love with _Smackle?_ I thought you were in love with _Maya,"_ Lucas asked in confusion.

"See? I'm not the only one that thought that!"

"I never said you were," Zay replied. "Even Smackle thinks I'm in love with Maya," He told the boys.

"Smackle? Really? I never would have guessed," Lucas said in shock, shaking his head as he finally took a bite of his chicken nugget. "Good for you," He nodded, speaking with his mouth full.

"But he won't just ask her out," Farkle rolled his eyes.

"Why not?" Lucas asked, continuing to stuff his face.

"Because I have to do something different! I have to make it special. I can't just walk up to her and say 'yo, Smackle-you wanna see a movie tonight and grab some dinner after?'"

"Sure!"  
All three boys jumped at the sudden voice joining their confusion. Their heads turned, eyes locking on Smackle, Maya and Riley standing in a triangle formation with Maya at the head, with Smackle and Riley on either side of her. The glossy haired brain was smiling, eyes sparkling as she stared at Zay.

"What?"

"You were talking about asking me to the movies and dinner? I was saying I'd like to join you," Smackle explained slowly.

"You know I meant, like, a date, right?" Zay asked, eyebrows raising.

"Uh, yeah?" Smackle frowned, eyebrows lifting slightly.

"Really?"

"Why not?" She shrugged.

"Zay and Smackle?" Maya gasped, glancing between the two teenagers in surprise. "I always thought Zay was in love with me," She said casually, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm gonna be the only single one," Riley whined.

"Excuse me?" Farkle asked, throwing his hand up in the air. "Are you forgetting about me? Because I'm single, too!"

"People are gonna start to talk about us," Maya stated, slipping down into a seat besides Farkle and placing her tray down. "It's like we're all just swapping boyfriends and girlfriends," She wrinkled her nose.

"That's exactly what we're doing, though," Farkle said, in a very "Duh"-like tone.

"Are you complaining about that?" Lucas asked, leaning forward across the table and placing a quick kiss on her nose. "Because we can change that, if you'd prefer," He pouted as he dropped back down into his seat across from his blonde haired girlfriend.

"Don't even joke," Maya struck her tongue out.

"I hate cute couples," Riley groaned, plopping down on the seat on Farkle's other side and allowing her tray to fall carelessly in front of her. "Seriously, you all sicken me," She glared at Maya, Lucas, Smackle and Zay.

"You love us," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Right now you disgust me," Riley insisted.

"Don't be bitter, Riley," Smackle shook her head, laughing at her friend's foolishness.

"I don't like being single while everybody else is in a relationship. I feel awful about myself watching you guys," Riley admitted, biting down on her bottom lip sheepishly, knowing she had a reason to be ashamed for her actions.

After all, she was being a hypocrite. She had been perfectly fine when she and Lucas were the adorable couple in the group. She hadn't minded Farkle and Smackle being incredibly cute with Maya and Josh making their own adorable appearances whenever they were hanging out outside of the school or school events.

But, when she was the single one?

She just felt bitter about the entire situation. She couldn't stand watching other people sit together and flirt with one another when she knew that she was alone, without a significant other.

It wasn't even watching Lucas with somebody else. She was fine with that. She was more bothered by Smackle and Zay being together, because it meant that she was officially going to become the fifth wheel.

Of course, she was being dramatic and she knew that. Because Farkle was single as well. The two of them could just be a united front with one another and support each other through their friends's newly formed relationships until Riley and Farkle had each found somebody else to be with.

But, Riley hadn't been able to stop thinking about what Maya and Lucas had said the night before about Farkle being in love with Riley and Riley potentially being in love with Farkle as well. She worried that she would never find somebody else to be with, unless Farkle decided to confess his feelings, because she feared that her friends were right about the entire situation.

"Oh, my god," Maya groaned, throwing her head back. "Okay, we're settling this. Friday night, the three of us are going on a triple date," She declared.

"Triple date?" Farkle and Riley blurted out together in stunned confusion.

"Maya…that's a great idea and all, but Farkle and Riley aren't dating," Lucas said, shooting his girlfriend an amused smile.

"Farkle, how do you feel about Riley?"

"She's my best friend," He answered honestly.

"Let's try that again," Maya rolled her eyes. "Farkle, are you in love with Riley?"

"I love you both-"

" _Farkle,"_ Maya snapped. "Are you in love with Riley? Yes or no," She glared, crossing her arms over her chest.

He was quiet for a second, staring at her with a hardened glare. It was clear that he was trying to challenge her, working to convince her to change her mind and take the question away. But it was out and he had no choice. He had to answer, or else everybody was just going to assume. And there was no way that Riley was going to assume the right answer and her thinking the wrong answer was going to lead to many negative consequences.

"Yes," he relented at last.

"Riley," Maya said, leaning forward on the table so that she could look at the brunette. "Are you in love with Farkle?" She asked, raising her eyebrows curiously.

"I don't know," Riley lowered her head.

"Riley," Smackle spoke up, from her seat on Zay's other side on the opposite side of the table. "Are you in love with Farkle? I'm not going to care about what your answer is," She said gently, speaking honestly.

"I…."Riley stuttered, glancing around the table between her friends.

"Oh my god," Maya groaned, rolling her eyes. "Riley, how do you feel when I do this?" She asked, grabbing the front of Farkle's shirt in her fist and pulling him close to her, pressing her lips against his in a quick peck.

"What the hell!" Lucas and Riley shouted in outrage.

"Maya, what the hell is wrong with you? You know that I love Farkle! Why would you do that?" Riley gasped, staring at Maya as though she had been betrayed.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Maya smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh…I see what you did there," Riley giggled.

"You love me?" Farkle asked, turning towards Riley with a bright smile.

"You love me?" Riley blushed.

"What the _hell,_ Maya?" Lucas shouted, pushing his chair back and jumping to his feet. "Did you seriously just kiss _Farkle?"_ he glared at the blonde.

"I was proving a point," Maya rolled her eyes.

"You think that was the best way to do it? You honestly think that what you did was okay? Wow…"Lucas shook his head, storming away from the table.

"Lucas!" Maya shouted, jaw dropping at his reaction.

"I, uh…better go. This is how he gets when he's going to do something," Zay said, pushing his chair back to start to stand up and go after his best friend.

"No," Maya shook her head. "I'll go. It's my fault. I should do it," She sighed, standing up and racing after her boyfriend.

* * *

"Can we please talk about what happened?" Maya asked, dropping down onto the floor besides Lucas in the hole, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"You kissed Farkle," Lucas stated, not bothering to lift his head.

He was sitting with his forehead resting against his arms, knees bent up towards his chest and arms resting on his knees. He was wrapped up in an almost perfect ball shape and every muscle was tightly strained, so that each one bulged out.

"It was to prove a point," Maya said softly. "It didn't mean anything. I really didn't think you'd get upset," she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Why wouldn't I get upset? My girlfriend kissed another guy right in front of me. A guy who's supposedly one of my best friends and she did it right after we started dating. Why would you think that I wouldn't get upset over what happened? Of course I was going to get upset!" he snapped, lifting his head up but refusing to look at her.

That made it worse, because it showed how angry he was. Lucas rarely ever refused to look at Maya. Typically, Maya was the one who calmed him down. All it took was one glance at Maya and Lucas wasn't able to contain his smile. The fact that he wasn't looking at her meant that he was passed the point of needing her to comfort him. Even Maya's sparkling blue eyes and dazzling smile wouldn't be enough to calm Lucas down.

"Because it's _Farkle,"_ Maya laughed, unable to contain her amusement.

"You think this is funny?" Lucas asked, turning his head to glare at her.

"Lucas…are you really upset about this?" She frowned.

"How would you feel if I kissed Smackle right in front of you to get Zay to admit to his feelings for her?" Lucas challenged.

"If it was to help my two best friends get together? I would be _impressed._ I'd be grateful," Maya explained.

"You wouldn't care? You honestly wouldn't care?"

"No, and you know why?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because that kiss with Farkle wasn't even a real kiss," She smirked. "It was nothing like one of these," She said, leaning in close to him and pressing her lips against his, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

He was tense for a moment, trying to fight her proximity to him. But, after a few seconds of sitting there like a stone, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto his lap, keeping her at a slight angle as he kissed her, not caring about where they were. He couldn't help but kiss her back, regardless of where they were, because it was Maya and he loved her. He couldn't resist her.

She pulled back, broad, teasing smile on her face as she pressed her forehead against his, locking her blue eyes on his green ones.

"Still mad at me?" She wondered.

"Depends," He drawled.

"On what?"

"What happens if I say yes?" He smirked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You're such a perv," She rolled her eyes, but she leaned in and kissed him all the same.

"You know," he mumbled against her lips. "I'm still a little upset, but I guess I should start getting used to your crazy antics," he sighed, giving her one last peck before pulling away from her, just holding her in his arms instead.

She rested her head against his chest, cuddling up into his arms and enjoying the few seconds of silent alone time with her boyfriend, before she jumped to her feet and held a hand out to help him stand up as well. She knew the lunch period would be ending soon and the hallways would be flooded, and she was not planning on being run over by a mob of people racing towards their next classes.

"I'll make it up to you after," She promised.

"Oh yeah? Don't forget-we have a date tonight," He grinned, climbing to his own feet.

"Oh yeah?" She smirked.

"Yeah-and no hints," He teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It's a surprise and Riley already knows what it is so she's responsible for making sure you look appropriate."

"You're leaving my appearance for this date up to _Riley?"_ Maya groaned, worry flooding her blue eyes. "Do you _want_ me to look like some sort of lollipop for our first date? Because that's what she's going to do to me. She's going to sunshine and rainbow me up and last time I looked like that you for scared!" She reminded him with a pointed look.

"I think after what happened last year, Riley knows better than to try and make you look too much like her. Besides," he smirked at her, a troublesome sparkle to his eyes, "you're a lot of things but you ain't no lollipop," he stuck his tongue out at her.

"You don't know that," Maya pouted, sticking her bottom lip out.

"Well, it doesn't matter what she does to you, because you're going to look gorgeous no matter what you're wearing or what your hair looks like or how much makeup you have on. You _always_ look gorgeous to me," he said, flashing her a lopsided grin with two perfectly carved dimples accenting his adorably boyish face.

"You never fail to say the right thing, do you?" She asked.

"Of course not-I should get a trophy for being the boyfriend of the year, because I'm pretty damn perfect," He bragged.

"OH, and so modest!"

"Because you're modest?"

"Are you seriously accusing me of being anything other than modest?"

"You're the most confident person I know, Maya Penelope Hart, and I'm not going to stand here and let you tell me anything different," he rolled his eyes, refusing to give into her antics.

"I'm not that confident," She muttered.

"Oh, shut up," Lucas laughed, pulling her closer to him and placing a kiss on her cheek. "You're talented, gorgeous, brilliant and hilarious. And you've got a boyfriend like me, so that shows even more reason for you to have the highest confidence level of any high school girl," He told her firmly.

"You just don't want me to think badly of myself, do you?"

"Maya, I want you to see yourself as being every bit as amazing as I see you. You're perfect to me, and all I want is for you to feel as perfect as I think that you are. So, please stop fighting me about it, because it's so stupid for this to even be a conversation right now. I want my girlfriend back-the one who teases me and drives me insane and calls me Huckleberry and-"

"HA-HURR!" she shouted, pressing her face up close to his and pressing her lips against his, before he even had the chance to kiss her.

"That's gonna be our thing now, isn't it?" He sighed.

"Oh, you know it is," She nodded with a bright smile.


	24. The Lucaya Date

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 24: The Lucaya Date**

 _ **A/N: Here it is! The first LUCAYA date! I hope you guys love it. I stole some ideas from my original version of this story and added some new ideas in. I have so many great ideas for this story in the upcoming chapters and I'm so excited to see what you all have to say on the subject. I'll update "I Don't Wanna Be" as soon as possible and give you a few chapters for that, because it's been neglected in my excitement for this story. Also, check out THE STORY THEY ALL FALLOWED, because it's absolutely amazing (and incredible recommendations are given at the beginning of every chapter for other LUCAYA fics). At least you'll have something to read during my spread-out updates this month.**_

* * *

"Tell me where Lucas is taking me on our date," Maya ordered as she crawled through the Bay Window.

The cheerleaders had had a shorter practice than they usually had that night, since they had a game the following night. Lucas still had a full practice, however, so Maya had hopped on the subway and hurried over to Riley's apartment as soon as she had been released.

Her curly ponytail was still falling into her face, tipping towards one side, because of an hour of tumbling and stunting. Her white and blue, cut-off tank top was drenched with sweat and her navy blue shorts that showed off her perfect ass were still on, without any effort to conceal the curves. She was still in her cheer shoes, something that was a big "no-no". She even had her bow in her hair, still and was ignoring the makeup that was smudged around her eyes.

"I can't tell you," Riley said, not bothering to turn around to face her friend. "Now go take a shower and get in here so I can get you in something appropriate," She ordered, smiling down at her textbook.

The girls had one of their weekly Spanish quizzes the following day and Riley always spent her Thursdays studying for the quiz. Sometimes, Maya, Farkle, Cory and Lucas had to tear the Spanish books away from her, and force her to work on the rest of her work, so that she didn't allow her other grades to slip in an effort to get an A in Spanish, a class that she was currently maintaining a solid B in.

Maya rolled her eyes, stomping towards the bathroom nearest Riley's room as she tried to figure out what Lucas could possibly have planned.

His first date with Riley, back in middle school, had been a double date with Farkle and Maya. Every other date was pretty routine for them when they officially started dating. They would meet up at Topanga's and talk for a little while. Then they would head out to the movies and they'd alternate who got to pick the movie. After the movie they grabbed dinner-they always went to the movies first, because Lucas swore that they'd have nothing to talk about if they went before the movie. And then they'd head back to Topanga's for dessert, before Lucas walked her back to her apartment.

There wasn't a single big, memorable date that Maya could remember her best friend going on with Lucas. It didn't make any sense that he had suddenly turned into this romantic guy. Because that wasn't what Maya had ever seen Lucas as being.

Josh had always been the one to spoil Maya, taking her on extravagantly planned out dates. He'd surprise her with cute presents before every date. On weeks when he felt like he hadn't been able to give Maya the proper attention, he would either surprise her with a visit and a small present, or he'd send her something sweet to make up for it. Even though she had come to expect the sweet gestures from him, she never knew when they were coming. She was excited every time she received one.

That was how her relationship with Josh worked. He spoiled her and he treated her like a princess because he was raised to believe that that was how a boy treated a girl that he loved.

Lucas, on the other hand, treated his girlfriends like he treated his friends. They hung out and they did the same thing regularly. Nothing special came from the fact a girl held the title of being his girlfriend.

And Maya was fine with that.

She didn't need all of the big romantic gestures and she didn't want him to think that he had to do it in order to keep her. She didn't ever want him to feel like he had to compete with Josh and her former relationship. Because she didn't want to feel like she was in a competition with Riley. She knew how awful that felt, and she never wanted Lucas to feel like he had to compete with anybody else.

* * *

"Riley," Maya sighed, drying her hair off with a towel as she entered her best friend's room. "Lucas isn't planning this big thing because he feels like he has to compete with Josh, right?" She wondered, raising her eyebrows at Riley, standing in the doorway, wrapped in a robe.

"Of course not," Riley replied, still hunched over a Spanish textbook. "Why would you even think that?"

"Because…well, never mind. It's stupid," Maya said, lowering her head.

"It's not stupid, Peaches," Riley laughed. "If you're worried about it, then there's a reason. So, explain it to me," she finally turned away from her book, turning in her chair to face Maya with concern etched across her face.

"It's just…. seriously, forget about it. What am I wearing?" She asked, forcing a smile on her face to appear cheerful and excited for the date.

"It's on my bed…. I stopped by your house after school to grab some stuff. But, we need to talk about this. Are you worrying about this because Lucas never did anything like this with me?" Riley wondered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Maya didn't answer. She just walked over to Riley's bed and picked up the black skater skirt Riley had laid out for her.

"Maya, he never did any of this stuff for me because he never loved me the way that he loves you. He wants to make you feel special because you're special to him. And, frankly? Lucas and I never hung out one on one. The two of us going to the movies and dinner on Friday nights acted as a date because we were alone. The two of you? You guys were best friends. If he didn't do something a little extra, it would be like nothing changed," Riley explained patiently, her words coming out kind.

"I just feel bad," Maya whispered, dropping the skirt back onto the bed.

"Don't feel bad because you're dating Lucas," Riley ordered. "Never feel bad for being happy, Peaches. You saw him first, and you gave him up for me, because that's the type of person you are. You pushed the two of us together, because you wanted me to be happy even if it meant stepping aside and putting your own happiness aside. You like to say that we were like Alexander Hamilton and Angelica and Eliza Schuyler when we were in that triangle? With you always trying to come between the two people meant to be together? Well, newsflash? You may have Angelica's personality, but you and Lucas were Eliza and Hamilton," Riley said, laughter starting to fill as she explained something that should be so obvious.

"This isn't a musical!" Maya snapped. "He dated you and I don't care what you say. He _loved_ you," Maya insisted.

"But not like he loves you. I was like his sister," Riley rolled her eyes. "Farkle and I are in love. A part of me always knew it and a part of Lucas always knew it and Farkle and you and Smackle and Zay-everybody knew it. Just like how we all know that you love Lucas and always have loved him," Riley stated.

"It's not even just the fact that he's your ex-boyfriend. I don't even really care about that. But that's easier to focus on than the things that actually worry me," Maya admitted, lowering her head in shame.

"Good," Riley smiled. "You shouldn't care that Lucas is my ex-boyfriend, because that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. You're allowed to date whoever you want. I don't have any claim over Lucas or his future relationships, just because he and I dated. Was it a fast change? Yeah, but you and I talked about it before and I pushed for it," Riley shrugged.

"I know, Riles," Maya smiled, starting to change into the outfit Riley had picked for her.

"So, what are you freaking out about?"

"The fact that I don't want Lucas to think he has to act like Josh," she whispered.

"He's not doing this to compete with Josh," Riley stated firmly. "And if he were, you would declare Lucas the winner after just one part of the date," Riley grinned.

"There are parts?" Maya's eyes widened.

"Yes, and you have thirty minutes to get ready, so you better hurry up," she rolled her eyes, turning back to her homework.

Maya sighed, removing the robe and pulling on the black skirt, eyes widening slightly at how short the hemline was. It looked perfect on her, showing off her muscular legs and accenting her booty, but it fell just about two inches below the bottom curve of her butt.

When she tugged on the black, floral print crop top that Riley had paired, she groaned at the wide patch of skin revealed between the top and the skirt. It was about four inches and it didn't matter what position she put herself in, she couldn't manage to make the shirt even brush the top of the skirt. But, the swoop neck of the top showed off her cleavage and the tight fitting shirt hugged her developed chest.

Adding on the black and cork wedges that Riley had grabbed for her, she knew that her assets were only going to look that much greater in the final product.

She made her way over towards Riley's vanity and flipped over her head, scrunching up her curls and pulling them into a super high ponytail, something she only did on rare occasions. On occasions when she was going to be self-conscious or stressed out, so that she could tighten the ponytail whenever its needed.

Then she started on her makeup, rubbing some moisturizer on her face, applying a bit of concealer, and working on her eyes. She spread her foundation around her face, added just a bit of bronzer and blush, and ended by applying her mascara. Then, she grabbed a red lipstick to match the red flowers on the tee shirt she was wearing and outlined her lips, shading them in perfectly.

"How do I look?" She asked, turning towards Riley with a bright smile on her face.

"Perfect-and just in time, because Lucas should be here any-"

The two never finished their conversation, because they heard the buzzer from Riley's apartment, asking for permission to allow whoever was downstairs to enter the apartment.

They shared one, panicked and excited glance, both girls knowing exactly what that sound meant. Then, the two took off running, hurrying out of the room as they tripped and tumbled over one another, each one trying to beat the other one to the living room.

As soon as they arrived, Maya in a half leap onto Riley's back with Riley hunched over, wearing her fluffy, duck-printed pajama shorts and baggy yellow tee shirt broadcasting some debate thing Farkle had won back in middle school, with her hair frizzed and tangled, makeup smudged but not completely wiped off, Cory opened the door, revealing Lucas Friar, standing proudly in the doorway with a large, oversized bouquet of wild flowers in his hands and two boxes of chocolate tucked under his arms.

His eyes widened, smirk forming as one eyebrow cocked up in amusement at the girls. When the girls saw that look, they immediately broke apart, standing up straight. Riley started to make attempts at fixing herself. Maya, however, stood up straight and adjusted her ponytail, before stalking over towards the door with a bright smile.

"Hey, Huckleberry," She said casually, full of confidence as she acted as though nothing was wrong and nothing strange had happened just a few seconds before. "You ready to go?" She wondered.

"Of course," Lucas said, that amused look still on his face, until he glanced at his girlfriend and his jaw dropped, both eyes widening even more, taking in the beautiful blonde in front of him.

Lucas thought that Maya looked amazing no matter what she wore. He never thought that she looked bad, even when he saw her first thing in the morning after after a late night. She was always beautiful to him, but it never failed to amaze him whenever he saw her in her full glory.

And on nights like this, there was just an extra something special about her. It wasn't one of her usual appearances. She just looked a little better than normal and it thrilled him to know that she looked like that for him and for his benefit. He felt _special._

"Oh!" He said, breaking out of his daze. "These are for you," He said, fumbling to hand Maya the flowers and one of the boxes of chocolates.

Riley was immediately at Maya's side, taking both items from her and vowing to put the flowers in water and keep the chocolates safe from Auggie and Cory.

"And, Riley," Lucas added, holding out the second box of chocolates. "These are for you," he explained with a smile.

"For me?" Riley frowned.

"You're trusting me with your best friend," Lucas explained, that endearing smile on his face that neither girl could ever resist.

"I am!" Riley said, immediately jumping into her protective best friend mode. "I expect her to be crawling back through my Bay Window by eleven o'clock, sharp! It's a school night, after all. And if you do _anything_ that causes my best friend to have anything less than a good time, I will _kill_ you," She threatened, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is that your intimidating face?" Maya asked, one corner of her mouth rising up in amusement at her best friend.

"Yes," Riley snapped.

" _Awe,"_ Maya and Lucas cooed together.

* * *

"First stop," Lucas said brightly, pulling his truck to the side of the road and putting it in park.

"We're only two blocks from Riley's house," Maya frowned, staring around in confusion as she tried to figure out where they were.

"I know," Lucas nodded. "Now, get out of the truck and let's go," He ordered, an exciting smile on his face as he opened his door and slid out, hurrying over to Maya's side to open the passenger's seat door.

"This feels like the start of a horror movie," Maya replied, climbing out of the truck with Lucas's help.

"Oh, where's your sense of excitement?" he asked her.

"You're really excited about this," Maya said, smiling at her boyfriend as he linked his hands with hers, their arms swaying slightly as they walked down the street together.

"I'm out with a beautiful girl," He explained, leading her down the steps towards the subway. "Who also happens to be my girlfriend. And I'm absolutely in love with her," he finished, a proud smile taking over his face as he looked at her.

"If you have a car, why are we taking the subway?" Maya asked curiously.

"Because, Maya," Lucas sighed. "This is where we first met," He reminded her, approaching the subway train that had just opened its doors.

He stepped onto the train from the platform, holding a hand out and lifting Maya up into the subway car with him, guiding her over towards the exact seat he had taken on one of his first days in New York, on his first ride on the subway, before his first day of school, when he had first met the two beautiful girls that would change his life forever.

Maya went to sit down besides him, but Lucas held up a hand, shaking his head.

"Am I not allowed to sit?" She wondered.

"Nope," He smirked. "Not until you say the thing," He grinned like a little kid on Christmas morning and even though Maya would ordinarily roll her eyes at something so ridiculous, she couldn't deny him this. Not when he was so excited for everything that he had planned for their night.

"Hi! I'm Maya," Maya said, flashing him a bright smile, wrapping one hand around the pole of the subway cart and leaning against it.

"I'm Lucas," He smiled back, looking up at her as though she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

"You're _really_ cute," she stated, fluttering her eyebrows at him, blue eyes sparkling.

"You're not so bad yourself," He winked, sliding over slightly and gesturing towards the empty seat besides him.

"We should hang out some time," Maya suggested, dropping down into the seat besides him with a wicked grin.

"How about right now?" He offered, raising an eyebrow.

"You make me happy," Maya confessed, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I bet I could make you happier," He assured her, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers, stopping her from going any farther.

"I didn't get to finish," Maya pouted, sticking out her bottom lip as he pulled away.

"That's because I never want to hear you say the second half of that speech again. And what just happened is exactly how the first half should of gone," he declared.

"You know," Maya said softly. "This isn't just a special spot for you and me," She whispered.

"I know…. it's where I had my first kiss with Riley. But, I had my first kiss with _you_ long before that," he flashed her a smile. "And that first kiss with Riley couldn't hold a candle to what happened here with you, way back in September on the first day of seventh grade," he told her honestly.

"Have I ever mentioned that you're a major Huckleberry?" She asked him, leaning against his shoulder once again.

"Only about fifty times a day," Lucas smiled, wrapping an arm around the blonde sitting besides him as he tried to figure out how he could have possibly gotten so lucky that he had a beautiful and amazing girlfriend and that his life seemed to be going to absolutely perfectly, something had had never thought would be possible for him before.

* * *

"No," Maya's eyes grew wide as she saw the restaurant that Lucas wanted her to enter.

"What?" He laughed. "You love Chinese food," He said innocently.

"Lucas, do you not remember what happened the last time we all came here?" Maya asked, staring at the restaurant in terror.

Lucas laughed, ignoring his girlfriend's question as he led her into the restaurant. Of course, he remembered exactly what had happened the last time they had gone there. It had been the first double date that he had gone on with Riley, Josh and Maya. He had spent most of the dinner glaring at Josh for being so adorably sweet with Maya the entire time, jealously watching their interactions.

When they had left, they had all gone back to their respective homes with their respective date. And by the next morning they had all determined that they had gotten food poisoning from the restaurant.

Lucas had healed the fastest, due to his mother's nursing abilities. When she had found out that Maya was sick as well, she had sent Lucas over to her house with a basket full of homemade soup, freshly baked cookies and plenty of biscuits. Lucas had stayed at the apartment with Maya, since her parents had been working on the move from their old apartment to Shawn's, helping to take care of Maya.

"Why is _this_ restaurant so special to you?" Maya hissed as they entered the tiny, China Town located, restaurant.

"Because I got to spend an entire day with you as a result. An entire day, just the two of us. And do you know how rare those days were when you were dating Josh and I was with Riley?" He asked her.

"If I get sick again, you're spending an entire day with me," She demanded.

"I'll make a deal with you. If you get sick again, I'll nurse you back to help. But, if you _don't_ get sick, you have to admit that it's because I'm way better than Josh and everything is a better experience with me," He smirked as they followed the hostess to a table.

"You're pretty confident in that deal," Maya observed, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I just trust that I'm better for you than he is. And either way, it's a win-win for me," he smirked, sliding into the booth.

The truth was, Lucas had done some research on the restaurant and learned that it was under new management with a new chef. It had the same name, but everything else was different now, because of several complaints about the same thing happened to other customers.

"It's not a competition, Ranger Rick," Maya sighed, sliding into the booth across from him. "I'm not sitting around making lists to compare the two of you," she rolled her eyes, opening up the menu and scanning the pages.

"Really?" Lucas asked, staring at her with wide eyes. "Because that's what I do with you and Riley!" he gasped.

"That's not funny," Maya glared at him from over the menu.

"Don't get upset," Lucas smiled at her. "You're winning," he assured her.

"Seriously, it's not funny," she slammed the menu shut, dropping it back down onto the table with a harsh slam. "The only way that this is going to truly work is if I don't have any sort of reminders that you used to date my best friend. Because I feel guilty enough about it as it is, without constantly having to be reminded," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's what tonight's about, Maya," Lucas told her, ignoring her change of mood.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not just taking you to all these places that are special to you and me. I'm taking you to places that are special to you and me, and special to Riley and me. Because I want to make them even more special with you, to get rid of all of the memories of her, anywhere. She's my best friend and I want nothing more than to erase the years of my life I wasted on her, because I would have rather been with you," He told her, smiling at her earnestly.

"You're…. Lucas, I don't want you to forget about her," Maya whispered, expression softening.

"I'm not doing it to forget. I'm doing it because I don't want her memory tainting anything that we had. Riley's your best friend and she's like my sister. But, she stood between you and me for a long time and I'm not allowing her to affect our relationship anymore," He vowed.

"You don't have to do that," Maya whispered. "But I love you for doing it," She smiled.

"Well, I mean…it doesn't hurt that Josh was a part of all of these memories and moments and places, too," He smirked. "Really important to me to reinforce the fact that I'm better than him," He teased, sticking his tongue out at her.

* * *

"Central Park?" Maya groaned as Lucas led her towards the biggest tourist trap in the city.

Maya was a true city girl. She loved New York City and everything that came along with it. She lived for the bright lights and she loved Broadway more than she loved anything else in the world. Nobody knew it, except for Lucas, but her dream when she had been younger was to be on Broadway.

The one thing that Maya couldn't stand, however, was the tourism flooding the beautiful city that she lived in. She hated everything that was overplayed and turned into a cliché. From the Statue of Liberty and the flood of harbor tours circling the copper lady, all the way to Central Park with its caricatures and hot dog stands.

When she was younger, a few months after Lucas had moved to the city and their friendship had started to develop-about a week after their meeting in the library when her talent had been discovered, Lucas and Maya had started taking trips into the heart of the city, nestling onto a bench in Central Park while Maya sketched out her surroundings with charcoals or oil pastels. One time, she had even convinced Lucas to carry an old easel he had bought for her, setting herself up for some water color.

But, after about two months of their weekly adventures, Maya had started to notice a common theme in their travels. There was an ever changing population. The people were never the same and none of them ever seemed to understand the true beauty of everything happening around them.

They weren't true New Yorkers, as Maya had explained to Lucas on their last visit to the park, while the pair had split a hot dog, covered in ketchup and mustard, with an oversized pretzel stuffed with gooey cheese, the way they always did. Maya wanted to be able to paint the true essence of New York City. She didn't want to display the tourist traps that thousands of movies and books had already captured. So, she and Lucas had started to wander on their visits, still heading into the city, but this time going to obscener places, due to Maya's heavy Google searches and talks with Shawn about where she could capture the truest essence of the city she had fallen in love with.

"Shush," Lucas said, shooting her that boyish grin that she just couldn't deny. "You barely ate anything at dinner," He reminded her, taking her hand and leading her towards the center of the park.

"Did you just shush me?" She gasped, unable to hide the amusement in her tone.

"Yeah, I did," He rolled his eyes, leading her towards a perfectly spread out, red-and-white blanket with a large picnic basket in the center.

"How'd you get this?" Maya asked, glancing around the park.

"Farkle and Zay were on guard until I text them that we entered the park," He smirked, lowering himself down onto the blanket and gently pulling her besides him.

"You knew I wasn't gonna eat at dinner, huh?"

"Of course," he replied. "I know you better than you know yourself, and that's why I brought all of your favorite foods," He smirked confidently at her.

Her blue eyes brightened, growing as wide as saucers as an excited grin took over her face. She lunged towards the picnic basket, throwing it open and pulling out the glass bottles of Cherry Coke that Lucas had packed inside. Then, she pulled out the still warm tuna melts. Her smile only widened as she removed the box of New York-styled cheesecake and the box of chocolate covered strawberries.

"You really did get them all," She sighed, plopping back down onto her bottom and immediately unwrapping the tinfoil from her sandwich.

"Have I ever let you down?" He asked her with a smirk.

"Well, you've only got about another two hours to get me home before you're going to have to deal with Riley for getting me home late, so ask me again when the night's over," She replied casually, taking a large bite of her tuna melt and moaning in delight.

"It's all good," he assured her, flashing her another grin. "I only have a few more parts after this," he promised.

* * *

"I thought you had more parts," Maya accused as the pair approached Topanga's.

"I do," He replied, reaching into his pocket and removing a key.

He approached the doors to the bakery that had become the gang's hangout and slid the key into the lock. Pulling the door open, he smiled to allow Maya to make her way in. He followed closely behind her, locking the door behind the both of them once they were safely inside.

He took her hand, guiding her towards the couch where they had sat on their first date together. Maya dropped down besides him, an amused expression on her face.

"Strawberry smoothie?" She cocked an eyebrow, staring at the tall glass sitting on the table before them.

"I made sure we each had our own. I remember what happened when I tried to order us one to share," he teased her, reminding her of when she had called him cheap for trying to get out of ordering two drinks for their date. He hadn't even bothered to try to argue that he was attempting to be romantic. He knew exactly why it bothered her so much that he had ordered only one drink, and he would do anything to try to change her feelings on the subject. She deserved better, anyways.

"Didn't I also dump this exact beverage on your head the last time we were here like this?" She wondered.

"You did indeed," He smirked. "And I hope that you'll drop one on my head every time I act like an idiot for the rest of my life," He told her honestly.

She burst out laughing, tossing her head back so that the tip of her ponytail tickled the bottom her spine, swaying back and forth from hip to hip across her waist.

"Do you _hear_ how corny you sound sometimes?" She asked him, still laughing as she tried to compose herself, facing him directly.

"Yeah," Lucas nodded, glancing down towards the floor. "That sounded much better in my head," He admitted.

"It's okay, though, because I have this," She smirked, raising her smoothie up above his head, tipping it just slightly.

"Don't you _dare,_ Maya Penelope Hart!" He laughed, lunging forward and knocking her back against the arm behind her.

He removed the beverage from her hand and placed it on the table in front of them, pressing his lips firmly against hers, enjoying the taste of her mouth on his own. It was a sweet, wonderful taste that he was sure he would never get enough of.

* * *

"Why are we on Riley's roof? You've only got thirty minutes to get me back," Maya reminded Lucas as she wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself tightly in attempts to fight back the urge to shiver in the cool, autumn breeze.

"Do you remember what happened the last time we were up here?"

"Eighth grade graduation?" Maya cocked an eyebrow.

"The last time we were up here without parents, Maya," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"New Year's Eve? I worked pretty hard to act like that never happened," She admitted sheepishly, giving into the urge to shiver but fighting the desire to chatter her teeth.

"You cold?" He wondered, shrugging out of his letterman jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders without even waiting for a response from her. "Anyways…this could have been the official start of you and me. We could have had it all, and become this amazing power couple years ago," He explained, walking towards the edge of the rooftop.

"Yeah, but Farkle blurted out the truth and this whole triangle drama started," Maya said, snuggling up into Lucas's jacket.

"Do you know what I was going to ask you that night?" He wondered, staring out into the city below them.

"You wanted to ask me something?" She asked, walking towards him.

"I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend," He admitted, looking down at her with a sheepish grin, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Have I ever mentioned that you're the corniest guy in the entire world?" She asked, raising her eyebrows up at him.

"Well, I'm about to get cornier," He told her, turning towards her.

"Oh, god," Maya groaned. "You're not gonna propose, are you?"

"No," Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'm just…you're already my girlfriend. But, I want to make it completely and totally official that you're my girl and nobody else's," he stated, scratching behind his neck.

"That's what happened when I agreed to be your girlfriend," Maya giggled, stuffing her hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Wait…what's this?" She pulled out the tiny, black velvet box that was positioned in the right pocket.

"Open it," He shrugged his shoulders up high, hands back in his pockets.

She paled, eyes slightly bulging from her head as she tenderly opened the box. She released a small gasp as she picked up the bulky, silver ring with the dark, deep blue stone in the center.

On one side, the year that they would graduate was engraved. On the other side, was Lucas's last name. Below the name was a football, a baseball below their graduation year. Their school's initials were inscribed beneath the stone. His class ring, hooked on a thick, golden rope chain.

"I know it's overly cliché. I know that nobody does this anymore…. but…well, I want you to have that, and I want you to wear it, because I want everybody to know that you're my girl. You're my girl, and you're not to be messed with. And I know that you're not one to be possessed by somebody, but I-"

Maya cut Lucas off by flinging her arms around his neck, jumping from the ground and pressing her lips to his own. He froze for a moment from shock, but then his hands flung from his pockets and wrapped around her waist, lifting her off of the ground and holding onto her tightly. There was one thing he was certain of-he'd never get tired of kissing Maya.


	25. Perfection Takes Work

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 25: Perfection Takes Work**

 _ **A/N: Here it is-the long awaited next chapter of I Write Sins! Hope it was worth the wait. It's sort of just a filler while I try to figure out where to take things next, but it shows some character depth.**_

* * *

"How was the date?"

Riley shot upright in her bed as soon as Maya crawled back through the Bay Window, trying to be as quiet as possible. Riley, however, didn't care about the time of night or her volume. Instead, her voice was loud, at full volume. Her eyes were full of excitement and her smile threatened to break her entire face right in half.

"Sh," Maya giggled, closing the window just enough, the way the girls always left it. "You're gonna wake up your parents and I know that Shawn is sleeping on your couch right now, even though he's totally going to say he was up all night," she rolled her eyes as she made her way towards the drawer she kept at Riley's house, full of school clothes and pajamas.

"I will _not_ shush!" Riley said indignantly.

"The date just ended," Maya sighed, pulling off her clothes. "Can I have a second to put on some pajamas and take my makeup off?" She sighed.

"Of course not," Riley gasped at the suggestion.

"Of course," Maya muttered, pulling on a baggy T-shirt that bragged about coffee being her one true love. She slid on a pair of spandex shorts underneath. She removed her makeup and relaxed her hair, before walking towards Riley's bed and hopping on, twisting her way underneath the blankets.

"So?" Riley prompted.

"It was fun," Maya shrugged. "Probably won't be going out with him again, though," She made a face.

"What?" Riley panicked, her face freezing as she stared at Maya in complete shock.

"I'm kidding," Maya rolled her eyes. "It was fun-he took me to all of our special places. It was so sweet," she admitted, reaching underneath her shirt collar and removing her new necklace, twirling the ring around on her fingertip.

"What's that?" Riley gasped, lunging forward and grabbing the chain.

"Choking me!"

"He…he gave you…he gave you his class ring?" Riley asked softly, stuttering to get the words out.

"Yeah," Maya said, confused by Riley's sudden change in emotion.

She hadn't expected Riley to go from excited, eager to hear all about the date, to a mess. It didn't make sense, now that Riley had Farkle and realized how she had always cared for the tall and skinny boy much more than she ever cared about Lucas.

Yet, there was the brunette, sitting there with pain written all over her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed together as she attempted to fight back tears and her bottom lip was quivering, showing that she was about to lose control. She dropped the necklace, wrapping her arms tightly around herself, and lowered her head. When her shoulders began to shake, Maya knew that her best friend had finally reached her breaking point.

Immediately, Maya was wrapping Riley in her arms, pulling her close. She held onto her tightly, allowing the brunette to cry, without having to talk about things. She just let her get all of her emotions out, because she was aware that Riley had been trying to be strong for so long. Riley had been holding all of this pain in, and she had never been the strongest member of their group.

The fact that she had made it a week without breaking into full blown hysterics, yet alone allowing a single tear to shed, had impressed Maya. And now, she had to sit there and support her best friend, because Riley had been taking on the role of a supportive friend while Maya moved on with her life, starting a relationship with Lucas Friar, the love of her life, who had once been Riley's boyfriend.

"I'll…I'll give it back, Riles," Maya whispered. "I'll break up with him. I'll end things right away. I…I didn't realize that you were so upset about this," she apologized, rubbing her friend's back in small, soothing circles.

"What?"

Riley shot into an upright position, eyes growing wide in terror as the tears stopped streaming down her face. A sad, concerned smile replaced her frown as she stared at her best friend with loving eyes.

"No," She said adamantly. "Don't you _dare_ break up with Lucas and break both of your hearts for my sake. Do _not_ make yourself miserable. I'm _fine,_ Maya. I just need a little bit of time. Not because I still want him, but because, to me, that relationship with real. And seeing the way he is with you? It just reminds me that what we had wasn't real to him," She said, that sad smile still on her face as she spoke.

"Riley, I can't watch you destroy yourself," Maya insisted.

"You are not breaking up with him," Riley stated.

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay?" Maya whispered.

"Of course," Riley smiled, the sadness fading away. "I'm going to be okay, Peaches, because you're going to be happy, and your happiness means the world to me, just like my happiness means the world to you," she assured.

"It's not healthy for one of us to step aside so that the other one can be happy," Maya sighed, running a hand through her curls.

"It's different this time. I'm not stepping aside so that I can bitterly watch you guys be together and I'm not stepping aside to push you guys together. I want you to be with Lucas because that's what will make you both happy. And I'll have Farkle and the two of us will be happy," Riley said, flashing her friend a reassuring smile.

"I wasn't bitterly watching you guys together," Maya protested through her laughter.

" _Sure,"_ Riley rolled her eyes, an amused smile on her face.

"I wasn't!" She insisted.

"Lies," Riley smirked.

"I had Josh!"

"What about in middle school?"

"We had a triangle!"

"And you were bitter about the triangle," Riley smirked, accepting her victory right then and there. "Remember the bird?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"You were looking for a god damn bird inside!" Maya snickered.

"It was a hurtful comment," Riley faked a pout.

"And all the times you made hurtful comments towards me?" Maya giggled. "Like about how they should like Jexica more than me? Or how I have a terrible life? Or how Farkle should be happy because his life was better than mine? Or when Lucas said I was beautiful deep down and you told him to calm down?" Maya said, shooting Riley a teasing look.

"Everybody else always overreacted to things that we said a lot more than we cared," Riley observed, laughing right along with her best friend.

"Don't they realize that we were always two bitches, especially with one another?" Maya rolled her eyes. "We made fun of one another to keep our egos in check, because nobody else was allowed to insult us," she flipped her hair dramatically over her shoulder.

"Peaches?" Riley said, settling down into bed, ready to finally call it a night.

"Yes, pumpkin?"

"I'm glad you're my best friend," She said sleepily.

"And I'm glad that you're mine."

* * *

Maya and Riley giggled their way through getting ready, a tray full of bagels with cream-cheese and various other toppings as well as cut up fruit at their disposal Maya had gotten down two bagels, coated in cream cheese with honey drizzled over the top, where Riley had had one with a spread of fruit buried in the cream cheese she had covered it in.

Through their meal, they had managed to get their hair done, flowing down their backs in full and volume-infused manes. Maya's, being a tangle of wild curls that were impossible to control and Riley's being a pin straight, ultra-thick mane that somewhat resembled an extra wide horse's tail.

They'd gotten dressed, each looking ready to walk the runway. Riley, in a pair of dark denim, ultra-skinny, cropped jeans, rolled at the ankle. A pair of maroon, suede ankle booties with thick, laces added about three inches to her height. She had on a white, mock turtleneck, sleeveless crop top underneath a maroon blazer with a black, sweatshirt-material hood poking out of the back.

And then there was Maya, in a faded denim, cut-off mini skirt with Lucas's football jersey twisted and knotted, showing off a thin sliver of her jacket. A pair of high heeled, royal blue Converse sneakers that she had found at a vintage store over the summer with Riley completed her outfit and made her fit into the average height of a high school sophomore.

Long story short, the girls looked good and they knew that they looked good. They were full of confidence, especially after their bonding session the night before.

They hooked arms, deciding to grace Cory and Shawn with their presence before heading outside to meet Lucas in his truck. Waltzing their way from Riley's room and strutting into the living room, they flashed their fathers large, eager smiles.

"Dad?" Maya gasped, eyes on Shawn. "What are you doing here so early? I had _no_ idea you were coming for breakfast."

She was teasing him, obviously aware that he had been there since the second she had left for her date. But, she wasn't going to just let him get away with showing up in some foolish effort to spy on her. She deserved to have a little bit of fun with it.

"Oh, you know, I just thought I'd come over for some of Topanga's omelets," Shawn said, scratching behind his neck nervously as he stared down at his plate.

"Topanga made omelets?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "Just because you showed up out of the blue?"

"Well, you know how she is," Shawn shrugged, looking away from Maya. "She's always trying to do some good for her friends.'

"Oh, yeah," Maya nodded. "Especially the friend who she's pretty sure is secretly dating her cousin. Especially the friend who's married to one of her good friends. Because I bet my mom would have loved to make you an omelet if you had asked. She has Fridays off, remember?" Maya smirked, cocking an eyebrow as she placed her hands on her hips, waiting for Shawn to confess to what he had been doing.

"Because you know that I _love_ making those before work for my husband and his friends," Topanga rolled her eyes, speaking through a forced smile, the way that she usually did when it came to Shawn.

"Topanga! Don't make Shawn feel bad," Cory hissed, staring at his wide accusingly.

"Your fathers were up all night on the couch waiting for you to get back, Maya, ready to spy on you and Riley while you talked about your date," Topanga deadpanned, throwing Shawn right under the bus.

"Topanga!" Cory and Shawn gasped, staring at her in shock with looks of betrayal taking over the faces.

"Riley?" Maya rolled her eyes, bored of the parents. "Promise me that we'll never be this weird?"

"Of course," Riley assured, steering the duo towards the door. "We'll be back eventually," She called over her shoulder, a playful smile on her face.

"Maybe," Maya added wickedly, slamming the door shut behind the pair.

* * *

"Damn."

There was a slam of flesh hitting metal, as Lucas Friar's palm slapped against the locker door besides Maya while she sorted through her things. It was the first time he had gotten a second alone with her, or even somewhat alone, since he had picked her up that morning for school. And he was planning on taking full advantage of the situation. He put his other hand on the other side of her, locking her against the lockers with his arms.

He was not going to let a moment of isolated Maya time, even if it was in the middle of the hallway with their fellow classmates around, go to waste. He was going to make the absolute most of it-and make everybody watching them envy their picture perfect relationship.

People had always thought that he and Riley were an adorable couple. But he wanted to make sure that everybody started talking about the fact that Maya and he were the definition of relationship goals. They were what everybody else should aspire to be, because they were the perfect couple.

Of course, he would never be allowed to vocalize that to Maya, because she was far more private when it came to her relationships that Lucas was. He was the type to broadcast his relationship from the rooftops. At least, that was the type of guy that he was with her. He was overcome by his feelings for her and he just couldn't control himself.

It was important to him that everybody know that he was with Maya and that he was crazy, head over heels, in love with her. Because he was, and that was all that there was to it.

Maybe it was wrong of him to want to brag about his newfound happiness so much, especially given the fact that Riley was his ex-girlfriend and their breakup was fresh, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He needed to brag about Maya and his happiness, because he was just so proud.

Besides, he wouldn't get upset if Farkle and Riley started to broadcast their own happiness with one another. And he was sure that Farkle wouldn't care if Isadora and Zay started to actually develop their relationship and act like the sickly adorable couple he was sure they were going to become. If everybody else could be mature about the situation, enjoying their own, newly found relationship, he didn't see why Riley wouldn't be able to do the same. Besides, he was too overcome by happiness to really care about sugarcoating things for Riley.

" _Damn,"_ Lucas repeated, his lips right next to her ear.

Maya turned around, biting down on her bottom lip as leaned back against the metal, closing her locker door behind her.

Lucas leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers as he moved in close to her.

"You look sexy as _fuck_ wearing my shirt," He whispered breathlessly, eyes locked on hers as he spoke to her. "Especially now that you're my girlfriend and I have you all to myself," he smirked, sneaking in a kiss.

"I wear your jersey every Friday and I don't look any different now," She shook her head, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks as she blushed.

"Yeah, but this time nobody else is wearing my jersey. It's just you-my girlfriend, wearing _my_ shirt and I love you wearing my shirt," he sighed, sneaking in another kiss.

"We're at school," Maya giggled, squirming her way out of the kiss.

"So?" He rolled his eyes. "Let me kiss my girlfriend," He pouted.

"People are staring," She whined.

"So? Let them talk-everybody knows we were never any good at personal space anyways," He shrugged his shoulders.

"You are such a pervert sometimes," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Kiss me and I'll leave you alone," He bargained.

"Oh," She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But, I'm not so sure that I want you to leave me alone," She whispered.

"But you don't want to kiss me either," He whined.

"Shut up and kiss me," She smiled.

* * *

"When do we get to go on a date?"

Farkle was surprised by the question.

Riley had presented him with a nasty sneak attack as soon as she put her lunch down on the table besides him that afternoon.

She wasn't in her usual seat, for starters. Normally she sat on the other side of the table, opposite Farkle. Of course, that seat would put her next to Lucas which Farkle didn't particularly want and which he was sure that she didn't really want either. So, she had sat next to Farkle who was her newest boyfriend, so maybe he shouldn't have been too surprised about the situation at hand.

But, she had also asked him about a potential date. And that confused him. He wasn't prepared for the question and he didn't have the answer.

And it was rare for Farkle to be lacking an answer to a question. He couldn't remember the last time somebody had presented him with a question that he couldn't answer immediately. Yet, there was Riley Matthews, the only girl who always managed to stump him, asking him a question that left him completely in the dark.

"Huh?" He wondered, staring up at her with furrowed eyebrows.

This question was simple and he knew that. It didn't take any thought or consideration for him to answer. Yet, he was thinking it over in his head the same way that he had always wondered about whether he should pick Maya or Riley. Of course, after about twenty four hours solely dedicated to making a decision between the girls, he found his answer. And his answer was simple. He decision was not to decide, because that was the only way to keep everybody happy.

Eventually, he knew, things would fall into place and he wouldn't be able to deny his feelings for one of the girls any longer and that girl wouldn't be able to hide from her feelings either. And the other girl would have somebody else who made her happier than Farkle could ever dream of making her.

The triangle had messed things up a little bit for them all, but, eventually, things had gotten back on track and he had been proven right.

"When. Are. You. Going. To. Take. Me. On. A. Date," Riley said slowly, giving each word a heavy emphasis.

She was speaking to him like he was an idiot and he didn't really appreciate it, but he could understand her frustration. He was supposed to be the smartest kid in the sophomore class, yet there he was, acting like a complete and total moron. He deserved to be spoken to like he was a toddler.

"We're going out tonight, with Zay and Smackle and Maya and Lucas," Farkle reminded her with a frown.

He had given her an answer, but it wasn't the right answer nor was it the answer to the question she had really asked. She had not been trying to figure out when they would go out together. She wanted to know when he was going to take her on a real date, just the two of them, to officially begin their relationship.

"That's not what I meant," She rolled her eyes, turning her attention towards her lunch, which she opened up and pulled out the salad that Topanga had packed for her.

"Riley, what's it matter? We hang out all the time. Why do we need some sort of special date?" He asked.

The reason that he was so confused, he was sure, was because Lucas had never pulled out anything special for their dates. His first date with Maya, back in the eighth grade, had been awkward and forced, but it had been much more special than any of the real dates that Riley and Lucas had gone on.

So, he didn't understand why Riley was turning this into some sort of big thing.

"It matters because Lucas planned out this amazing date where he took Maya to all of the special places they've ever been to together and created even more amazing memories there. It matters because Lucas gave Maya his class ring! It matters because he did all of that because she was _special_ to him. And I'm supposed to be _your_ Maya, so you could act like this!" She snapped, slamming her palm against the table as she turned her attention back to him.

"Riley," Farkle sighed. "Is our entire relationship going to be a competition with Lucas and Maya?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"What?" She froze for a second, staring at him in confusion. "What? No, of course not. Why would you even say that?" She shook her head, hurt flooding her eyes.

"Because you just said that the triple date you agreed to yesterday isn't good enough, because Maya and Lucas had some epic first date last night. When did you want me to plan something, Riley? We got together _yesterday_ and you and Maya booked Friday," Farkle explained patiently.

He couldn't be mad at her. It wouldn't be right or fair. He just wanted to talk to her.

"I just…Farkle, I just want to feel special for once," she sighed, running a hand through her hair as she turned back towards her lunch. "I want a boy to look at me the same way that Lucas looks at Maya and I want to know that somebody loves me as unconditionally as Lucas loves her," she explained, popping the lid off of her salad.

"Riley, I've always looked at you that way," Farkle assured her, reaching out and taking her hand, stopping her from getting her lunch ready. "I love you, okay? And I'm going to make sure that you always feel that special, because it's what you deserve. And we are going to have an amazing date on _Saturday,_ after we go out with all of our friends tonight, okay?" He flashed her that boyish grin that he never could get rid of.

"We are?" Riley asked, immediately perking up.

"I figured there wouldn't be that many Saturdays when we aren't hung over until after football season's over, so I wanted to take advantage of the situation. I'll pick you up at eleven Saturday morning and we're spending the day in the city," He winked at her.

"The city?" Riley asked, furrowing her eyebrows together.

"We're getting lunch at that diner you and Maya go to whenever you're there-the one with all of the singing wait-staff?"

"Okay?" Riley frowned, still confused by what he was getting at.

"And then I'm taking you to go and see the _Lion King_ ," he added.

"That's not in theaters?"

"On Broadway, silly," He laughed, reaching out and tapping her on the nose playfully.

"What?" Riley gasped, eyes growing wide.

"I talked to my dad and he pulled a couple strings and got us front row balcony seats for the Saturday matinee," he explained.

"You're the best boyfriend ever!" Riley squealed, wrapping her arms around Farkle in an excited hug.

"Wow, really? You know, Riley, I take that personally," Lucas gasped, face full of mock hurt as he slid into his usual seat, across from where Riley was sitting.

"It's okay, Huckleberry-I think you're a pretty awesome boyfriend," Maya winked, sliding into the seat across from Farkle, the seat that had always belonged to Riley.

"Are the couples being all god damn adorable?" Zay whined, taking his usual seat besides Lucas with that usual playful smile on his face. "Because I don't know if I'm prepared for that level of cuteness this early in the day," He explained.

"It's twelve thirty in the afternoon, Isaiah," Smackle laughed as she slid into the seat on the other side of Farkle-the seat that had always belonged to Maya.

And just like that, their positions had changed. It was evident that everything was different for them, but they were happy. They were okay with it. They didn't mind and they really didn't care.

Because for once, things were going good for all of them.

* * *

"So, what's Maya's epic plan for the tripe date?" Riley asked as the group settled into her bedroom that night for their usual Friday night routine.

Three large pizza boxes, one plain, one meat lovers and one vegetarian, lined up a table that they had dragged into the room upon their arrival. Three containers full of twenty five wings each-a set of medium, a set of butter and garlic and a set of everything-sat besides the pizza. And a stack of three salads sat in the middle, one for each of the girls to enjoy with their meal, while the boys each had a bag of garlic knots. A cooler full of cans of soda sat besides the table, ready for everybody to help themselves.

Moving their Friday night ritual to Riley's house had been the best decision they had ever made, allowing them to have much more fun in a far better layout. A playlist full of Top 40's music was blaring and they were all settled in their usual locations.

"After the game we're gonna head over to the diner and grab some food," Maya shrugged. "Nothing huge," she replied as she rolled off of Riley's bed and made her way towards the table, being the first to set up a plate.

"That's all?" Riley whined, following after her.

"The games are long, and there's not really that much for us to do afterwards," Smackle pointed out, following the girls towards the table.

"We can head off to one of our houses after and watch a movie?" Lucas suggested, rising up from his seat at the bay window and walking over towards the table, eager to fill up his plate.

"My house? We can get take-out instead of going to the diner, actually, and I'll get a sundae and popcorn bar set up?" Farkle suggested, following after Lucas.

"I vote for Farkle's house!" Zay declared, hand thrust in the air as he made his own way towards the table, struggling not to push past the rest of his friends so that he could have the first dibs on making his plate.

"Works for me," Maya shrugged, grabbing a container of salad, a slice of plain pizza and a slice of the veggie pizza and five everything wings. "It means I can get out of that uniform and throw on comfy clothes sooner," She smirked as she grabbed a can of coke and made her way back towards Riley's bed.

"I don't want you out of that uniform," Lucas whined, grabbing three slices of meat lovers pizza and five of the everything wings and five more medium wings. "I like that uniform. You should wear it more," He insisted, grabbing a sprite before returning to the bay window.

"Lucas," Riley sighed, grabbing her salad, a plain slice and five butter and garlic wings. "Don't be a pervert. It's not a good look for you," She teased as she grabbed a bottle of water and returned to her bed.

"It's not like her uniform is any more revealing that what she usually wears anyways," Smackle pointed out, taking two slices of veggie pizza and her salad. "No offense, Maya-you know I envy your confidence to wear incredible things," she flashed Maya a reassuring grin as she grabbed a water.

"None taken," Maya giggled from her seat on Riley's bed, legs crossed in front of her with her salad positioned on top of them.

"Maya looks hot in anything," Zay stated, piling his plate high with two slices of each pizza and five of each of the wings. "But it's every guy's fantasy to be with a cheerleader," he smirked as he took a bag of garlic knots and a coke.

"Careful," Smackle glared at him, sitting besides Maya on Riley's bed, spreading dressing on her salad. "Or you'll find yourself begging for a date with a cheerleader just like you were last week," She threatened.

"You just got told off by Smackle," Maya snickered, amusement flooding her face.

"I love it," Farkle grinned, grabbing a slice of plain pizza and two slices of the meat lover's pizza. "It's not only the funniest thing I've ever seen in my entire life, but it's such a pleasant change from her old running gag," He nodded in approval as he grabbed five of each of the wings.

"Farkle!" Smackle gasped. "Don't hit on me in front of Zay," She whispered, shooting him a warning look.

"And it's back," Farkle groaned, grabbing his bag of garlic knots and a Dr. Pepper.

"At least I'm out of it," Lucas smirked, setting his food in front of him on the bay window as he sat angled towards his foot.

"Lucas, don't hit on me front of Farkle," Smackle sighed.

"You three are never getting out of that," Maya giggled, loving Smackle's long running joke.

Maya had been the only one besides Smackle to ever find the antic absolutely hilarious, and she still found it funny. While Riley had always gotten annoyed that Smackle thought that all of the boys, especially her own boyfriend, were fighting over her, Maya had found it amusing. Besides, she knew that Smackle had turned it into a joke. While she had meant it when it had first started with Lucas back in the seventh grade, not understanding how a male/female, completely platonic friendship worked, she had quickly turned it into a joke, making fun of her own misconceptions.

Lucas, of course, thought that it had gotten somewhat old. Back when Farkle was dating her, it had somewhat annoyed him, but he had long sense gotten over those feelings, now that he was dating Riley. Now he just wished that the joke would stop, because he knew about Riley's feelings on the subject. And Zay loved the joke, because it allowed him to be included in one of the group's tangled love webs.

Of course, now he had a slightly different idea on the subject, because he was dating-or close to dating-Smackle. He didn't really want this game to exist anymore, because he wanted things to only be between Smackle and himself.

"It's a joke," Maya, rolled her eyes when she saw all of the accusing eyes on her. "Seriously, laugh-Smackle doesn't make that many jokes, so it would be nice if you guys laughed when she put the effort in," She glared at them all, shooting them the nastiest look that she possessed.

"It's old," Riley muttered, rolling her eyes, but she forced out a giggle.

"I think it's funny, I really do," Lucas insisted, bursting out laughing. "It's just been going on for a long time," He pointed out.

"It's pretty funny," Farkle admitted, snickering.

"I mean, I _am_ always hitting on her," Zay laughed.

"See? Don't get all bitter just 'cause Smackle's got the best long running joke in our group," Maya teased her friends, shooting Smackle a reassuring and friendly grin.

Smackle shot her a thankful smile.

Things were never going to be perfect, but they could be close to perfect. It would take work, but they would be able to get through it all.


	26. Feminist Manifest

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 26: Feminist Manifest **

_**A/N: This chapter had a mind of it's own and carried me along with it. Hopefully, you guys like where it went. I feel like it gave some real closure to certain situations and opened up to a problem that they'll probably never actually deal with on the show.**_

* * *

"FASTER, LUCAS! DON'T STOP! _FASTER!"_

Maya Hart was watching the football game with extreme worry flooding her face. Lucas had been the star running back all season and the team had started to depend on him. They counted on him to break through the masses and score, even when it seemed absolutely impossible.

With only three minutes left of the final quarter, the team was down by six. They needed this final touchdown if they wanted to stand any chance of winning and Lucas was their plan. There was no official layout and there was nothing set in stone. All that was known was that Billy Ross, the starting quarterback, was going to have to throw the ball to Lucas and Lucas was going to have to catch it. And Lucas was going to have to make it to the end zone.

Normally, Maya would be okay with them losing a game like this. One where they had worked hard the entire time and given it their all. Their best effort had been put into the whole thing, so she couldn't be too upset.

But this time, there was more riding on the game than just their standing. Because things were different now.

Not only was Lucas no longer dating Riley, the girl who had stood by his side as he had climbed to the top on the football team, but he was officially dating Maya. This was the first game where he was dating somebody other than Riley and things weren't going to be looking that good for him if he messed up this play.

He needed to score this final touchdown, or Maya would be declared as a "jinx". She would be publically humiliated and absolutely scorned. She would be ridiculed and her relationship with Lucas would be over before it even began, because the school would do everything in its power to tear them apart.

Football was far too important to the students at Abigail Adams High School.

"LUCAS, COME ON!" She shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth as she rose up to her tippy toes, bouncing slightly in excitement. "YOU GOT THIS, BABY!"

Lucas jumped up in the air, hands wrapping tightly around the football as soon as it came close to him. Once he had landed, ball in hand, he took off running, head ducked low as he squirmed his way through the crowd of the opposing team, all focused on one goal-taking him out. He ran, weaving in and out of the mobs coming towards him.

"GO, LUCAS, GO!" She shouted, pompoms shoved in the air as she waved them excitedly, bright smile on her face.

Just as he was nearing the end-zone, a member of the opposing team lunged towards him, about to tackle him to the ground. Lucas took one glance over his shoulder just in time, throwing himself towards the ground and landing with his shoulders above the end-zone, ball extended in his outstretched arms.

The zebras ran towards him, checking the situation and his exact position on the lines. And then they threw their hands up, signaling that it had been a touchdown and the Abigail Adams Bobcats had tied the game.

They set up for the two-point conversion, forming a quick huddle before lining up. The entire game was now riding on this play, because if they didn't score, it meant overtime and who knew what could come next. It would put them at risk of losing everything and Maya was not going to stand for that. They had come too far at this point. Even though she was sure that she had gotten rid of the risk of being referred to as a jinx-as Lucas's bad luck charm-she was not about to let them lose that game. Lucas, as well as the rest of the team, had worked far too hard to get to this point and if they lost, it would have all been for nothing.

"LUCAS, SCORE!" Maya yelled, panic starting to fill her eyes as Ashleigh gave the order for the team to turn back towards the front for their final cheer of the game.

Starting the cheer, Maya fought the urge to watch over her shoulder the entire time to see how the play was going. She settled for just checking over between run-throughs of the sideline chant, wincing at how long this process seemed to be taking.

And when the crowd started to scream, jumping to their feet, the cheerleaders knew that it was over and that they had won. Without even finishing the cheer, they whirled around, smiles spreading as they began to jump up and down, brushing their pompoms together in an excited rattle.

Maya's eyes immediately found Lucas, who was being attacked by the team, all ready to run and lift him up on their shoulders as their hero. But, Lucas just patted everybody on the back, flashing them that nice-guy grin, as he pushed his way through the crowd, eyes locked on Maya. When he was finally free of the other players, he took off at a full spring, working his way through the excited cheerleaders and straight towards Maya.

He picked her right up off the ground, twirling her around before setting her back down. He grabbed his helmet, placing it over her head and allowing it to hang over her neck. Then he took her pompoms, holding them in his hands as he placed them over her hips, pulling her in close. She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and moving in close to him.

"Good game, baby," she whispered, her forehead pressed up against his.

"Where's my reward?" he cocked an eyebrow, a half-grin forming slowly.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly as she pressed her lips against his, kissing him long and hard.

They both knew that their moms were probably sitting in the stands, taking pictures and comparing photos. They had been shopping Maya and Lucas together for years, since before the triangle had formed and long before Maya had stepped back. Of course, Shawn was probably sitting there angrily texting Cory about the entire situation and planning a way to kill Lucas with his best friend.

But, right then and there, they couldn't be bothered.

Because they were lost in their own little world. All that mattered was the other person. It didn't matter that their teammates were celebrating around them. It didn't matter that their classmates were cheering in the stands, for the victory and for the scene they were putting on. Nothing mattered, because they had one another and that was all that they needed.

They could get through anything, so long as they had the other person at their side.

Lucas pulled back, glancing towards the stands and laughing as he looked back at her with that shit-eating grin she had fallen in love with so long ago.

"Those pictures are gonna be pretty adorable, you know," He said sheepishly.

"We're gonna have a lot of adorable pictures after these games, aren't we?" she wondered, biting down on her bottom lip.

"We're gonna have a lot of adorable pictures for the rest of our lives," He promised her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"FRIAR!"

Lucas swore under his breath as the coach called him back to the field, wanting all of the football players to meet up for their post-game talk. The rest were already there, itching to run off and talk to the cheerleaders or their girlfriends in the stands. Lucas was the one who was holding them up, all so that he could be with his own girlfriend.

Normally, he'd feel guilty, but he had just played the best game of his life. He didn't care, because he had Maya and that's all that he had ever wanted.

"I'll be right back," He winked, dropping her pompoms and taking off, leaving her there with his helmet as she watched his run back to the field, sneaking glances at her over his shoulder, a fit of giggles taking over at the sight of her adorable, love-struck boyfriend.

"You're pretty lucky to have a guy like him, you know that, right?" Ashleigh observed, coming up to Maya's side.

"I'd say he's pretty lucky to have a girl like Maya, too," Melody whistled, coming up on her other side.

"You guys are gonna be a power couple before you know it," Ashleigh sighed. "The football star and his cheerleader girlfriend, captaining the whole squad," she winked, bumping her hip against Maya's own.

Maya smiled to herself as the older girls linked arms and headed off, following the rest of the team to create the spirit tunnel for the football team to exit through. Maya knew that she should be heading over with them, but she was too happy at the moment. She was lost in thought, trying to figure out what she had done to get so lucky.

She had always said that hope was for suckers, but maybe, just maybe, she was just as big a sucker as the rest of them.

* * *

"Get me out of this uniform," Maya shrieked as she burst into Farkle's room, throwing her cheerleading bag onto his bed, dropping to her knees and sorting through it.

"Could you maybe not change in the middle of Farkle's room with three guys here?" Lucas asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at Maya.

"I'm changing right here, in about thirty seconds so you have that long to get them both out of here if you don't want them to see me, because I've been in this uniform for far too long," Maya said, shooting a glare at Lucas over her shoulder.

"You should have changed at the field," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"The cheerleaders don't get a locker room," Maya rolled her eyes. "They give the girl's locker room to the visiting team," she replied drily.

"Alright, alright," Lucas sighed, grabbing Farkle and Zay by the arm. "Let's give the girl some room," He replied, a threatening tone to his voice as he dragged his friends from the oversized bedroom.

"But-but-I wanna _stay,"_ Zay whined.

"You better be joking or I swear to _god_ I'll kill you," Lucas growled, pushing them from the room and slamming the door shut behind them.

"Lucas is gonna kill Zay," Riley said, plopping down into one of Farkle's oversized beanbags and starting up her favorite videogame. "And we never got to say our goodbyes," She pouted.

"He was kidding," Smackle insisted, sitting down in the bean bag besides Riley.

"So is she," Maya replied, pulling off her shell and twisting out of her crop top. "We all know that Lucas could never hurt Zay, because that's his best friend, before anybody else. And we all know that Zay doesn't want to watch me change, because that's definitely not how he thinks about me," she rolled her eyes as she removed her sports bra and slid in a cheerleading tank top with knotted sides, broadcasting how her pompoms brought all the boys to the yard.

"All of the guys want to see Maya naked," Riley rolled her eyes, leaning back in the beanbag chair. "I mean, look at her-every guy at school wants to see her naked," she shrugged.

"No," Smackle said bluntly.

"Riles, knock it off," Maya said flatly, removing her skirt and spandex shorts.

It didn't really matter that she knew that she was hot. It didn't matter that she had heard the comments guys made about her. It didn't matter that she was pretty sure what Riley was saying was true. Because it wasn't cool for Riley to be saying it, especially in front of Smackle, who was the most insecure out of the three girls when it came to her relationship.

"I'm just saying," Riley defended herself.

"It's not true," Maya said through clenched teeth as she fastened the button on her dark denim shorts.

"How do you do it?" Smackle asked, turning around in the bean bag chair to focus on Maya. "How do you have that effect on guys? Because I can't figure out what you do, because it just seems so natural for you."

"I don't do anything," Maya frowned, removing the bow from her hair. "And I don't think the effect that I have on guys is what you think it is," She insisted as she took out her ponytail and shook out her curls, running her fingers through the mane to try and make her hair look somewhat presentable.

"Maya, every single guy at school is waiting for Lucas to mess up, because he stepped in and got you as soon as you were back on the market, and they all want a chance," Riley hit the pause button on her game and turned to face her friend.

"You're exaggerating," Maya shook her head, throwing all of her things back in her bag and tossing it aside. "Seriously, you guys flatter me way too much."

"Maya…I see the way that they look at you. I see the way that _Josh_ looked at you. He was in college and he could have been with any college girl out there doing all sorts of things that eighteen-year-old guys do. But, he chose to be with you," Smackle said, shooting Maya a pointed look.

"I don't do anything special," Maya giggled uncomfortably, not enjoying where the conversation was going.

She hated it when her friends went on about her in any way that tried to make her out to be better than she was. She knew that they thought highly of her, because of the fact that they were her best friends, but she didn't think that it was necessary that they belittle themselves in order to build her up.

Besides, it made her uncomfortable when their conversation focused on her and the effect that she had on guys. It never failed to make her feel weird, being reminded that her curves tended to get the attention of any male passing her by.

She knew, of course, that she was pretty. She knew that many would even describe her as being beautiful. And she knew that she had a nice body, something that she worked hard to maintain. But, hearing that she was some sort of object for the boys to constantly be gawking over made her worry that maybe she was nothing more than a pretty face. Maybe she was just a girl that boys liked because of what she looked like.

"Oh, good, you're wearing clothes," Lucas said, opening the door and walking back inside, pulling the other two along with him.

"Why do you make us miss all the fun?" Zay whined.

"I'm going to kill you," Lucas snapped.

"It's a joke, Lucas, seriously," Maya rolled her eyes, plopping down onto Farkle's bed and cuddling up against his mount of pillows.

"Maya Hart is in my bed," Farkle sighed.

"You're next," Lucas glared at him.

"What the hell is going on right now?" Maya snapped, shooting upright and glaring at her friends. "Why is everybody acting like I'm a Kardashian or something?"

"You make the Three K's look like Pepper from _American Horror Story,"_ Zay muttered.

"What the _hell?_ Zay, you don't talk about me that way. You have _never_ been like this before," she asked, eyes locked on her best guy friend.

"Because you're hot," Zay shrugged.

"Zay, this isn't funny. You have a girlfriend who is _beautiful,_ both inside and out. So stop fawning over me for whatever stupid reason you have, and worry about your girlfriend and making her feel gorgeous," Maya glared.

"And _you,"_ She glared at Farkle. "You're dating my best friend so it's even _less_ appropriate for you to walk around making comments like that about me. Don't do it and focus on your own girlfriend, because she's _perfect_ and she's been what you've been wanting since the first grade!" Maya snapped.

"The boys are in trouble," Riley whispered to Smackle.

"You two aren't getting off either," Maya turned her focus to the girls. "Stop belittling yourselves. It's not attractive to lack confidence. You wanna know what my secret is? Well, it's the fact that I'm _confident_ in who I am and in what I look like," she explained to them, a softer tone being used on the girls than when she had yelled at the boys.

"What about Lucas?" Farkle gasped.

"Is he the only one not getting in trouble?" Zay frowned.

"Favoritism," Riley sing-songed.

"She saved the best for last," Smackle shook her head.

"And as for you?" Maya said, eyes narrowed as she glared at Lucas. "You cannot go around threatening to kill any guy who looks at me, because that's not cool. So, learn how to take a joke because your friends are kidding."

"It's not funny," Lucas muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets and lowering his head.

"That's it," Maya groaned, rolling off of Farkle's bed and grabbing her bag. "You guys can all hang out here and figure out what the hell is going on. I'm going home, because I'm not in the mood to deal with any of this," she stomped towards the door, removing her cellphone from her pocket.

"Maya," Lucas sighed.

"Don't follow me, Lucas," Maya snapped. "I want to be alone tonight."

* * *

"What's wrong with, Maya?" Lucas sighed.

He leaned against the wall and fell to the ground, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his arms over the top, burying his face in his hands with his gaze locked on the ground.

"What…what am I supposed to do to help her, when I don't even know what's wrong, and when I'm part of the problem?"

He sounded defeated. Absolutely and totally defeated. As though he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He looked just as lost as he sounded. There was no sign of the Lucas they had all come to know and love. The confident and protective male that always knew what he should do next. They hadn't seen him look like that since Thor and his friends had sent them all into The Hole their freshman year.

Riley longed to comfort him. To be able to reach out and wrap an arm around him and assure him that everything would be okay. She wanted to be that calming force, the thing that made him relax when he was ready to lose control.

But, she couldn't do it. She didn't have that kind of power over him. Not at all.

She was the best friend, not the girlfriend. Not anymore, at least.

Looking back, of course, she knew that she had never had that power over him. It had always ben Maya. The blonde had always been the one with the power to control Lucas's emotions in a way that nobody else ever could.

It was just another reminder that everything that she had thought she had with Lucas was a lie. She had never been anything special to him and she was going to be forgotten. She was destined to become just another memory for him. A chapter in the book of his life that was long over.

"Lucas," Zay sighed, "I'm sorry, man," He shook his head, dropping down onto the edge of Farkle's bed and hunching over in defeat.

Zay was supposed to know Maya better than anybody else. He was supposed to be her best friend, the one who knew exactly what was going on in her pretty little head. But, he had no idea what was going on with her now. It just didn't make any sense.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Farkle rolled his eyes, walking through the room. "She got pissed off 'cause we were harassing her. All we were doing was joking around and complimenting her. She overreacted," Farkle insisted.

"No," Smackle shook her head, staring at Farkle in disgust. "She got upset because you guys were harassing her. You're right about that. And she was upset because Riley and I were adding to it and making it seem okay. She got upset because we were acting like all she had going for her was a pretty face," Smackle frowned, the realization dawning on her as she spoke.

"We weren't trying to do that," Zay said quickly, head shooting up. "We'd never try to give Maya that impression, because we don't think of her that way. We don't think of any of you guys that way," Zay assured the girls, staring at the two remaining females with pleading eyes, begging for them to believe him.

"But you did," Lucas snapped, jumping to his feet and lunging at Zay, already in attack mode. "You had to comment on her body and you had to keep on hitting on her?" he glared, grabbing Zay by the shirt collar and pulling him to his feet.

"Lucas, calm down," Farkle said. "He was just kidding."

"Yeah? You're next, Farkle. You're not any better than him. You made her feel the same way with what you were saying," Lucas said, glaring at Farkle from over his shoulder.

"Lucas, they were kidding," Riley whispered.

"And you can't be mad at them. Because you did the same thing when it came to objectifying her. You _started_ it," Smackle said. "And Riley and I didn't help either," she admitted, lowering her head in shame.

"So, what do we do?" Riley asked.

" _I'm_ going to smash in Zay and Farkle's faces," Lucas growled.

"And what are you going to do to yourself?" Smackle rolled her eyes.

"I didn't do anything, Smackle! I was trying to protect her," He insisted.

"And that made her feel like a weak girl," Smackle rolled her eyes.

"You don't know Maya," Lucas said, releasing Zay.

"Lucas, she just needs space," Riley said softly.

"She's my girlfriend and she's upset, Riley. She needs _me,"_ Lucas glared at the brunette.

"Lucas, we all messed up," Zay sighed, shaking his head. "We need to apologize to her, but we know how Maya is. She's angry and that means she's unpredictable and she wants to be away from the people who upset her. So, we need to give her that space," he explained patiently.

"I…I'm heading home. I just…I need some air. I need some space," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair and turning around, stalking out of Farkle's room.

"Zay?" Riley asked, staring at her friend in confusion.

This was the moment when Zay usually jumped to his feet and took off after Lucas to calm him down. This is when Lucas usually did something, after all. The attitude that he got when he was about to lose control and stop thinking his actions through. And Zay was the one who always took on the responsibility of handling him when he was like this, because he had the most experience when it came to this side of Lucas.

"I'm not going," he shook his head. "Not this time," he sighed.

"What?" Riley gasped.

"He needs to learn how to do this for himself," Zay explained. "He needs to learn about self-control," he stared at the door Lucas had just left through.

"This is how you're going to teach him?" Riley asked in shock.

"It doesn't matter, Riley," Zay smiled. "Besides, this is different. This time, it's different," He assured them all.

And he prayed that he was right about what he was saying, because if he wasn't, they were all going to blame him and there was nothing that he could do about that. Because, if Lucas did something to get himself into trouble, it would be all his fault if he did nothing to stop it. Because that was his job. He was supposed to always be looking out for his best friend and doing whatever it took to keep him safe.

Lucas looked out for Zay and kept him from getting into trouble because of his mouth, and Zay looked out for Lucas, protecting him from himself. That was how it had been since the eighth grade and Zay had no right to try to challenge that or change it.

* * *

Maya took a sigh of relief when she saw Josh's car pull up at the corner, a block away from Farkle's apartment.

He lived in a nicer part of the city than Maya, so she hadn't minded the short walk to where she'd be picked up or the wait until Josh could leave his dorm and make it to where she was. He got there far sooner than she had been planning on and a part of her worried about how many traffic laws he had broken to get there, but a larger part of her was relieved that he was there. Was grateful that he had done everything in his power to get to her as quickly as possible.

She yanked over the passenger's side door, slipping inside and tossing her bag into the backseat, all without saying a single word.

She didn't _have_ anything to say, because what was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to tell Josh, the feminist that he was, that she had been belittled for the way that she looked? That she had been made to feel as though she was nothing more than a pretty face, by all of her friends and her own boyfriend?

Josh wouldn't drive anywhere if she said anything about that. He would turn the car's engine off and climb out of the car, marching straight into Farkle's apartment and right into his room. And then he would tear every single one of them apart. He would give Riley and Smackle a verbal smackdown like they had never had before. And he would _kill_ Farkle. Zay might be able to hold his own, but he would still get roughed up. And Lucas, poor, sweet Lucas, would just let it happen because he would feel far too guilty about Maya's departure.

No, she couldn't explain what had happened up in that room, because Josh would only get angry. It would only upset her more. So, she sat in the front seat and turned on Josh's radio, shocked that her favorite 90/2000's Throwback station was the station that the radio had been on.

Josh typically always had his radio set to an 80's rock station or with his iPod plugged in, so that there was no room for music he didn't like. He had always whined when Maya tried to play her own music, even though she always caught him tapping his fingers along to the beat of at least one song every time she was in the passenger's seat.

Yet, there they were, sitting in his car, with the radio blaring, and Destiny's Child was playing, and Josh didn't look like he was about to complain.

In fact, he just looked guilty, as though he had been caught doing something wrong. His eyes were focused on the road in front of him but his head was lowered slightly, as though ashamed of what she had discovered about him.

"Charging your iPod?" She wondered, breaking the suddenly awkward silence between them.

She didn't know what to do when there was an awkward silence between them. They had rarely ever experiences a moment's silence when they were together, and when they had, it had been natural and easy to break, without an ounce of tension between them.

This was new, and Maya didn't like it.

He was supposed to be her best friend, the boy she could talk to anything about. The boy that knew everything and anything about her life. Sure, Lucas knew a lot about her, but Josh was so calculating that he sometimes seemed to know Maya even better than she knew herself. Zay could read her emotions like a book, but Josh could predict her next move before Maya had even begun to process the situation at hand.

All in all, they should have been the perfect and ideal couple. Even with the age difference, they just seemed to naturally belong together. Besides, if somebody was going to date a boy three years older than her, it made since that it was Maya.

"Uh…something like that," he admitted with a nervous chuckle.

And then Maya understood. He had been listening to this station by choice. He had left it on, because it reminded him of her. Despite how much he had complained about it when they were dating, this station had quickly become his favorite, because of all of the memories that it brought back about her.

"Josh….do you ever make a decision that seems so easy…so natural and right, and look back a few days later and regret it? And worry that you might have made the wrong decision?" She asked softly, toying with Lucas's class ring, dangling around her neck.

"Don't do that, Maya," Josh sighed. "And I'm not saying not to do that because I don't want you to give me false hope. I'm saying it because you made the right decision. Lucas was your one, okay? Never doubt that," he told her, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

"How are you so sure?"

"Because your toying with that necklace and staring at it like it's the most important thing that you own," Josh smirked. "I know you, Maya. Don't insult me by putting on some act. Tell me what this is really about, because you know I'll figure it out eventually, or hear all about it from Riley."

"Josh…could it be that I don't really know Lucas? That I thought I knew all about him just because I know a couple of things that seem important, but I really don't know the type of person he is?" she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"You know Lucas, Maya," Josh laughed. "Don't even try to say anything otherwise. Because even _I_ know the type of guy that Lucas is, because he's not that hard to figure out. He's a trouble teenager with anger issues. He's a guy who made a bunch of mistakes in his past and moved here for a fresh start. He's a love struck puppy dog, that was able to start over and change completely, because he had you," Josh explained.

"But…that doesn't explain who he is. What he believes in," Maya sighed.

"He believes in goodness. He believes in second chances. He thinks that everybody has some good inside of them and that, if just given the chance, they can show that. He believes in faith and honesty," Josh rolled his eyes, as if disgusted by Lucas's optimism.

"Yeah, well, he sounds a bit like a dreamer. And I don't know if you noticed this, but I'm definitely not a dreamer," Maya scoffed.

"That's the beauty of it," Josh grinned, shaking his head. "That's the lesson behind all of this. It's the reason that you and I never could have worked out and it's the reason that you and Lucas are so perfect for one another," He explained.

"What are you talking about?" Maya rolled her eyes.

"There are dreams and there are realists in this world," Josh stated. "You'd think the dreamers would find the dreamers. And the realists would find the realists. But, more often than not, the opposite is true. You see, the dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun. And the realists? Well, without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground," He said softly.

"When did you get so sentimental?" Maya asked, a mocking smile on her face.

"I have a deep side. It's a little known fact," he gasped, acting offended at the way that she was judging him. "Besides, _Modern Family_ is a great show," he smirked.

Maya giggled, because that was the effect that Josh had on her. Then, her eyes widened in excitement as she saw where he was taking her. He pulled right into the diner where Mayas mother had worked all those years ago-the diner Maya still loved. The diner that made the absolute best tuna melts that Maya had ever tasted in her life. So good, that Katy Hart had mastered the recipe long ago to make Maya for dinner on special occasions, back when money was tight for the pair.

"What are we doing here?" Maya asked.

"From the time you called, I'm guessing you never got to eat at Farkle's. And that means you're starving because you always eat after your game," he rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Really, Maya, it's like you don't even know me."


	27. Explain it to My Heart

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 27: Explain it to My Heart**

Lucas walked out of Farkle's building just in time to see Maya climb into Josh's car.

He had been okay before that. He wasn't ready to completely lose it, until he saw his girlfriend running off to Josh's side at the first sign of trouble between the pair. Because it meant that Josh had been right-that Josh had kept his promise. He had vowed that he would be there to catch Maya the very first time that Lucas let her down and he was doing just that.

All that he wanted was to wrap his hands around Josh's neck and squeeze as hard as he possibly could. He wanted to watch Josh wither in pain, hear him beg for mercy and swear that he would never go near Maya again.

Of course, he knew that was foolish, because Maya would murder him if he tried to hurt anybody, especially Josh. He would really end up losing her if he ever dared to lay a hand on Josh, now that her decision had been made and she had decided to be with him. So, he had to fight his urge to beat Josh's pretty little face into a not so pretty pulp. He was harder than anything else he had ever had to do.

His compromise was climbing up into truck and following after Josh, trailing the old Thunderbird that Josh had purchased for cheap and helped to rebuild with his father, working carefully not to be spotted by either of the passenger's in the car, knowing what Maya's response would be to his antics.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Maya, of course. He trusted Maya more than he trusted anybody in the world and he would eagerly trust her with his own life. The problem was that he didn't trust Josh, at all, because the dark haired boy had never once given Lucas a reason to trust him.

"Where are they going?" Lucas muttered, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he tried to figure out what was located in the direction Josh was taking her.

It wasn't heading towards her house. It wasn't towards NYU. It wasn't towards Riley's residence. It wasn't towards anything that Lucas could figure out. Nowhere that Maya would really want to go, at least.

When he saw Josh's car pull into the Nighthawk Diner, he understood. Maya had to be starving, as she always demanded food as soon as a football game ended. Besides, the one thing that always made her feel better was a tuna melt with a chocolate malt milkshake with a large mountain of whipped cream on the top and a side of fries to dip into her shake.

He circled around the block, allowing for Josh to turn off his car and enter the diner with Maya before Lucas even dared to pull into the parking lot, taking a parking spot far away from the door, towards the back of the parking lot. Then, he turned off his truck and climbed out, ready to go and confront his girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend.

Trying to calm himself down as he stormed into the building, he took as many slow breaths as he could. Pulling open the door to the diner, he clenched his fist tightly and headed off towards the booth all the way in the back, where Maya and Josh were sitting.

"Lucas?" Maya gasped, eyes growing wide as she spotted him before he had even gotten to the booth.

Josh turned around, his back to the door. He rolled his eyes as soon as he saw Lucas, shaking his head as he turned back towards Maya with annoyance and frustration written all over his face.

Lucas didn't really care how annoyed Josh was at his presence there. He was the one who had driven all the way from his dorm room to go and pick up Maya and then taken her out, as though they were on some sort of date. He was the one who was taking advantage of Maya's emotional breakdown.

"You two look cozy," Lucas said flatly, standing at the head of the table with his arms crossed firmly across his chest, a blank expression on his face.

"I just called Josh for a ride," Maya frowned, eyebrows crinkled. "He took me to get something to eat because he knows how I get after a football game and he figured I hadn't eaten yet," she finished.

"After you stormed out on me," Lucas added.

"Lucas, I told you that I needed my space. How'd you even know we were here? What? Did you follow us or something?" Maya asked, growing angry as she spoke.

Lucas paused, his face freezing.

He should have thought this through better. He should have known that confronting her in such a way was going to end this way.

"Oh my god," Maya gasped. "You _did_ follow us."

"I was worried about you," Lucas defended himself.

"Lucas, you guys were objectifying me and I didn't want to subject myself to that. So I left to get some space and I called a friend to spend some time with to calm myself down. And you were so _jealous_ and _protective_ that you had to follow me," Maya accused, eyes dark as she stared at him.

He didn't like the way that she was staring at him. She had never look at him like that before and it was something that he never wanted to experience again. He wanted it to end as soon as possible, because it terrified him.

"Wait-hold up," Josh said, staring at Maya in shock. "What do you mean by objectifying you and who were the "you guys"?" He wondered.

"All of them-they were all sitting there going on and on about how hot I am and how Zay wants to get with me and Farkle's always wanted to see me in his bed and how Smackle and Riley wished that they had my body and Lucas just sat there and threatened the guys for talking about me like that instead of doing something to show that I'm more than just a pretty face," Maya explained, eyes dead set on Lucas with that same look in her eyes.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Josh asked, jumping to his feet. "When another guy refers to your girlfriend as hot, you don't threaten to kill him. Not when it's to her face. You tell him about all the things you love about her that have nothing to do with her appearance."

"I don't want other guys looking at her," Lucas whispered. "I don't want to ever lose her," He lowered his head.

"I'm not going anywhere just because Farkle and Zay hit on me," Maya shook her head. "Forget this…Josh, can you just take me home?" she sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"I can take you home. We can talk," Lucas offered.

"No," Maya stated. "I want to go with Josh right now and I want you to respect that I need some space," she said firmly.

"Maya, please don't do this," Lucas pleaded.

"Stop acting like I'm the cause of all of this!"

"I just want to talk to you about it!"  
"You helped them make me feel like I was nothing more than my looks, Lucas. I don't want to be known by what my physical appearance is and you should know that better than absolutely anyone," she sighed.

"I don't see you that way!"

"Lucas, right now…. I'm not so sure I really know who you are," She admitted, shaking her head.

"Please don't say that," Lucas begged.

"I just need some space," Maya insisted, sliding out of the booth. "I'll call you before I go to bed, okay," She flashed him a small smile.

"Do you want me to come over later?"

"I'll call," She repeated.

"Maya…. Maybe you should let Lucas bring you home so you can talk to him about this?" Josh sighed.

Lucas knew that it had to kill him to offer that. But, he respected him for it. He actually sort of respected Josh for everything that he had done that night, trying to help Maya. The protective boyfriend in Lucas wanted to hate Josh and assume the worst about his intentions. But, the truth was, Lucas knew that Josh had done it all in order to help Maya, looking out for her best interest.

"No," Lucas sighed, knowing that he had to be as mature and generous as Josh was being about the situation. "She should be with you right now," he said, doing his best not to speak through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," Lucas nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you," Maya said, flashing him a smile that held a shadow of her real smile.

"But," Lucas said, grabbing Josh's forearm as he went to walk past him. "If you try _anything_ on her, I'm going to _kill_ you," he growled, his voice low as it came from the back of his throat, the Texas Lucas coming out for just a moment.

"I wouldn't do that," Josh said. "She's upset. It wouldn't be right," he shrugged.

And Lucas knew that he was telling the truth. Josh might not respect Lucas's relationship with Maya. He may not care about the fact that Maya was with somebody else, but he would never once take advantage of her. He wouldn't try to take a moment of weakness on Maya's part to use as a way to win her back.

If Josh was going to win Maya back, it was going to be fair and square, so that he couldn't honestly feel like he had won. So that he could tell everybody that he had won. So that he could feel safe and secure in his relationship with Maya.

It was the same way that Lucas had always felt back when Maya was dating Josh. He didn't want to tempt Maya or try to corrupt her into admitting her feelings for him. He wanted her to be overwhelm by her feelings for Lucas, so that she was unable to fight it anymore. He wanted her to want to be with him as badly as he wanted to be with her.

He did the waiting and he did his fair share of fighting. But, he was not going to do all of the fighting. He was not going to be the only person fighting to make their relationship work, because by doing that, it meant that it wasn't a real relationship. A relationship was always worth fighting for, but it didn't work when there was only one side fighting.

He would give Maya her space for right now, because he knew that she honestly needed it. He knew that this was a situation where she just needed to calm down a little bit.

But, he was not going to stand by and allow her to walk all over him, expecting him to still be waiting for her. If they were going to work, they both needed to put in the effort and he was not going to do whatever it took to keep her if she wasn't as committed as he was. Maybe this time, it was simple.

He needed to apologize and give her time and space. But, it was not going to play out that way every single time.

He would not be made out to be the weak one.

"Take care of her," Lucas said softly, hating the fact that he sounded weak and was begging Josh to do something almost as much as he hated the fact that Maya didn't want him to be the one taking care of her anymore.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Josh chuckled. "You may have her heart and you may be her boyfriend….but that title? It comes with a price. You lose being her best friend and her shoulder to cry on. I hated you, because she always went to you and she never came to me. Well, I guess it's your turn now," he said, a sad hint to his voice.

And then he walked away, leaving Lucas to stand there and try to figure out what was happening with is relationship.

* * *

Riley had always believed herself to be a feminist.

Ever since that eighth grade science experiment involving the marble and the sludge, she had known that she was meant to fight for equality for women.

And she had done just that ever since. She had argued to ensure that their school had as many sports teams for girls to be a part of as it had for boys. She made sure that a girl was never denied the right to be a part of something that was traditionally meant for boys.

It wasn't even a one-way street with her, the way that it was for so many feminists. When a small group of boys had wanted to be a part of the cheerleading team, she had worked with Maya to ensure that they got a fair try-out. She had helped to create the all-men's choral ensemble at the school.

She fought for equality and not just where it would benefit her. She wanted to make sure that everybody was granted the same opportunities as those around them. She had created the school's Culture Club, dedicating one day every week to ensuring that the cafeteria served food from a various culture that a student at the school may represent. They had monthly events, dedicated to a different culture each month.

They had Sadie Hawkins dances and she had even held a dance in October in support of LGBT History-month. It was usually held as close to October 11th (National Coming Out Day) as possible and it had been such a hit the previous yet that the school had demanded that it become an annual event for the students.

Everything that Riley did, was done for the benefit of the world around her. It was part of why she wanted to be a journalist-to expose those who were wronging their fellow citizens. She wanted to pose as a threat to those who tried to take the rights of others away.

So, yeah, Riley would definitely consider herself to be a feminist and she would consider herself to be a strong one, at that.

Yet, her best friend had just left because Riley had been the opposite of a feminist.

In fact, Riley had been supporting rape culture, in a way, by standing by as they all belittled Maya, making it seem like she was nothing more than her appearance.

And maybe Maya had been exaggerating. Maybe her storm out was a bit over the top. It didn't change the fact that she was justified in believing that her friends didn't respect her for her personality at all.

After all, she had asked them repeatedly to stop talking about her in such a way and they had kept it going, choosing to overkill the joke, rather than respect their friend's wishes. They had been so caught up in the humor of what they were saying that they ignored what was happening around them.

She was ashamed. She had been completely wrong and it had upset her so much that she had left shortly after Lucas, hopping on the subway with Smackle, who had chosen to accompany her, knowing exactly how Riley was feeling. Because, Smackle was just as big of a feminist as Riley was. All three of the girls in their group were feminists and had been since the incidents of the Sludge Experiment. Smackle had heard all about it from the other five.

A part of Riley-and she was sure, a part of Smackle as well-had been expecting to enter her bedroom and find Maya sitting at the bay window with her legs crossed in front of her and a knowing smile on her face, patiently waiting for her best friend to show up so that they could talk through everything.

Yet, she wasn't there. Riley had no idea where she was, because she had turned her phone off after sending Riley to voicemail five times in a row. It was clear that she didn't want to talk to any of them.

And that made things even harder on Riley, because she didn't know how to handle not being involved in things.

She didn't know how to just wait it out.

She wasn't that type of girl and she never had been. She had always been the girl with a plan, quick to jump into action.

Having to sit around and wait like this reminded her of back when Maya had skipped school and gone missing the previous year, only to be brought to Riley's apartment with a police escort because of vandalizing a park.

She felt absolutely useless, and this time it was even worse than it had been when Maya was missing. She felt guilty, because this time, she was a part of the problem. Just just a part of the problem in the sense that Maya was projecting her feelings towards Riley. This time, it actually was partly Riley's fault.

Riley could tell that Smackle felt guilty, too. The glossy haired beauty hadn't said a word since Lucas had stormed out. She had just sat there with her head lowered and a thoughtful expression on her face. There was a hidden guilt to her eyes, though. In fact, she looked as though she was blaming herself even more than Riley was blaming herself, and she was determined to figure out way.

"You're feeling guilty," Riley stated, dropping down onto the Bay Window and gesturing for Smackle to sit besides her. "Why?"

It didn't make sense for Smackle to feel guilty. Even though the group had accepted her with open arms, she had always acted like she wasn't truly apart of it. She had put a bit of distance between herself and the rest of the group from the very beginning and didn't seem to have any real ties to any of them, except for to Farkle, and eventually to Zay.

"Because…." Smackle began, shaking her head as she sat down besides Riley carefully, running a hand through her hair. "Because Maya's talked to me about her feelings on this subject before, and I still let it get this far. I should have defended her, because I _knew_ how much this issue bothered her," Smackle admitted.

"What are you talking about? What issue?" Riley frowned, tilting her head to the side as confusion took over her expression.

"Maya thought that the only reason guys were attracted to her was because she was pretty," Smackle blurted out. "I guess she was visiting Josh one night and some of his friends were there and they made comments about how gorgeous she was-because, well, you've seen Maya and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life," she explained.

"She's the most beautiful girl I know-and not just because of her physical attributes. She's beautiful on the inside, and it shows on the outside," Riley said proudly.

"Yeah, well, one of these guys told Josh that he understood why he was dating a sophomore in high school, now that he saw Maya," Smackle replied drily, a bitter expression on her face.

"Are you kidding me?" Riley gasped.

"Josh physically kicked him out of the room as soon as he said it, and he immediately started to tell Maya that that wasn't the reason at all," Smackle added, wanting Riley to know that her uncle had not been a part of the problem.

"Of course he did-he loved Maya and he still does."

"Anyways, it didn't matter what Josh said, because the idea was put into her head. So, whenever anybody goes on about how pretty she is or what she looks like, that haunting thought comes back and she feels like that's all she has going for her-what she looks like," Smackle explained.

"Why'd she tell you that?" Riley asked, eyebrows furrowing. "No offense…it's just… she didn't tell me, and she normally tells me everything," she flashed Smackle a smile.

"She and I were working on a project when it happened. She came over to my place after so we could work on it and I could tell something was bothering her. And she told me, but she made me swear not to tell anybody else," Smackle explained.

"You and Maya are close, aren't you?" Riley wondered.

"You could say that," Smackle smiled.

"You're pretty close with all of them, aren't you?" Riley wondered.

The more she thought about it, the clearer it became. Smackle and Lucas had always joked around with one another. They had had an adorable friendship from the beginning. And Zay had joined in on their relationship as soon as he had gotten comfortable enough with Smackle's demeanor. Farkle and Smackle were so similar it was impossible for them not to be close. And now she was realizing that even Maya had had a relationship with Smackle that went farther than the brunette merely being the girlfriend of one of Maya's best friends. They had an honest, pure friendship and Riley hadn't even noticed it. That said a lot about her friendship with, not only Smackle, but Maya as well.

It appeared as though Riley was the only one who didn't have a real connection with Smackle, and that bothered her. She had never had any sort of hostile feelings in regards to Smackle, and at the beginning, she had been the one pushing for a friendship with the girl genius. She had pushed for the makeover in order to help Smackle gain Farkle's attention and she had been the first one by Smackle's side when the truth about her place on the autism spectrum came out. So, when had things changed so drastically and how had Riley had no idea about the issue at hand? How had she gone this long without realizing that things were so different for their group, especially her friendship with Smackle.

So, it didn't really make sense that, somewhere along the way, Maya had gotten a real friendship with Smackle where they honestly discussed their feelings and issues, while Riley didn't seem to know anything about the newcomer. She didn't even seem to know about the girl's relationship with the rest of her own friends.

"Yeah," Smackle nodding, biting down on her bottom lip. "You could say that."

"You and I aren't very close…. why is that?" Riley wondered, a soft smile on her face.

"I've always been a little bit jealous of you, Riley," Smackle admitted, lowering her head in shame. "Farkle loved you, and a part of me always knew that. Over time, I repressed that fear, but…. It was still there, deep down, and it hindered any relationship you and I could ever dream of having," she explained.

"You… you were jealous of me? You _knew_ that Farkle liked me?"

"I knew that you were special to him. There was a reminder at everycorner," Smackle shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself.

"It sucks, being with somebody that you know would rather pick somebody else, doesn't it?" Riley asked, flashing Smackle a small smile.

They weren't as different as Riley had always tried to believe that they were. They had a lot in common, actually, and they had both just been through the same thing in terms of their first relationship.

"It does," Smackle nodded. "And it sucks even more knowing that, no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to hate that girl, because she's just so sweet and she's naïve to the whole situation and she's loyal and you know that she'd be perfect for him," Smackle added, shooting Riley a smile.

A smile that told her that she wasn't bitter about the situation. She wasn't angry and she didn't blame Riley. She didn't have an ounce of hostility about the situation.

It was the same type of smile that Riley had been giving Maya since she first started dating Lucas, because she felt the exact way about her own situation that Smackle was claiming to have felt about her own situation.

"Don't feel guilty about being happy with Farkle, Riley," Smackle said, placing a reassuring and supportive hand on Riley's arm. "It's always been you. I had my shot, but.. well, I wasn't you. And Farkle's not my one and I don't even think Zay is… but, I'm young and I've got time. I can have some fun until I find him. You've been lucky enough to find yours early and who am I to stop you from being happy? I want to be your friend, Riley, and I'm not going to start that off by trying to stand in the way of your happiness," She went on.

"You know," Riley said, a watery smile taking over her face. "You're the sweetest human being that I've ever met, and for somebody who claims not to understand social interaction very well…. well, you're pretty good at it to me," Riley grinned.

"Just know-I did love Farkle," Smackle said, shooting Riley a warning look. "Even though he's not the love of my life, I loved Farkle at some point in my life. And I never want to see him hurting. So, if you hurt him? It won't just be Maya and the boys you have to answer to. It'll be me, too," She replied.

Riley stared at her new companion on confusion, tilting her head to the side as her eyes narrowed in confusion. Her eyebrows furrowed together and a small frown took over her face. She was confused by what Smackle was trying to say and by her sudden change in demeanor. Because, that wasn't how Smackle usually acted. It didn't seem like her at all.

"I'm kidding, Riles," Smackle laughed. "I mean, partly, because I do care about him, but I'm not going to come after you if things don't work out. Besides, knowing you and Farkle? You're gonna be engaged by the time we graduate high school," Smackle laughed.

And that's when the fear struck Riley.

She was terrified, suddenly, of committing to one boy for the rest of her life. Of honestly believing that she had found the one that she would be with forever. It was hard for her, at fifteen years old, to accept the fact that, maybe, she had finally found the Cory to her Topanga.

What if something awful happened? What if they were torn apart?

She didn't understand and she didn't know what to do. All she knew was that her feelings for Farkle overcame the fear.

But, this fear was something new. It was something that she had never experienced before, and it was her first hint that what she felt for Farkle was far different than what she had felt for Lucas. It was stronger. Her feelings for Farkle were the real deal, and that scared her more than anything else.

Because from Riley's track record with relationships?

It wasn't looking all that good for her.


	28. The Talk

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 28: The Talk**

 _ **A/N: Some Joshaya cuteness. Some Lucaya cuteness and some Joshua Angst. There's a little something for everybody. And I can't wait for ski-lodge to come out because I've got some thoughts already...**_

* * *

This entire ordeal had gotten out of hand and Maya knew it. She knew that she had slightly over-reacted and taken things to an extreme. She understood that and she highly regretted it. But, being the stubborn, strong-willed female that she was, she wasn't going to take back what she had done. She _couldn't_ take it back, because a part of her believed that she had been right, at least partially.

"Maya," Josh sighed, sitting in her bedroom with her.

It was getting late and he knew as well as she did that if Shawn caught them, they would be in huge trouble. But, Maya wasn't making any effort to get him to leave and he wasn't going to abandon her when she needed him so badly.

So, he was going to try to talk to her and make her okay within the next half hour. That way, she would be ready to call it quits for the night and head off to bed, curling up underneath her covers and leaving Josh free to leave, rather than be forced to face Shawn's wrath.

Normally, Josh wouldn't be even the slightest bit afraid of Shawn, because spending time with Maya was worth it. But, when he wasn't dating the blonde, he was sure that Shawn's wrath would be far stronger than it had ever been before. And he was not prepared to deal with that, when he was trying to pick up the pieces from Lucas's mess. And he was not going to be there when Josh learned about what Lucas had done or what the rest of Maya's friends had done. Because Josh would end up getting the majority of the punishment for it.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking away from the sketchbook she had balanced against her legs, working on an oil pastel piece.

She was sitting in her turret with Josh sitting across from her with his legs folded up in front of him. Maya was hunched over her sketchpad, bare feet resting on the cushioned bench of the turret with her knees bent, pad tilted against her thighs.

She looked beautiful, the same way that she always did when she was working on a piece that had truly inspired her. Josh loved to watch her work on her art, because when she was focused, she was the most beautiful creation to ever grace the face of the earth. And Josh loved to be a part of her world, just for that short period of time.

Of course, she wasn't even aware that he was in the room when she was lost in one of her pieces. The rest of the world faded away as soon as she picked up a tool to start one of her newest masterpieces with. All that mattered was the surface she was about to be decorating.

He had been surprised when she had acknowledged him trying to speak to her, in all honesty. Before, he had grown used to her ignoring him completely when they were hanging out and her inspiration struck. There was no controlling it, and besides, he was nothing but proud of the things that his girlfriend was able to create.

"You know that Lucas and your friends aren't anything like that asshole, right?" Josh wondered. "Steve was a dick and he's a major masochist. Don't let what he said ruin compliments for you forever, because you _are_ gorgeous, but there's so much more to you than that," Josh said softly, eyes locked on her.

Even now, cuddled up in a pair of boyfriend fit, Victoria's Secret sweatpants with the waist rolled over two and a racer back, fitted tank top that showed off a large span of her stomach, she looked gorgeous. She'd twisted her ponytail into a sloppy bun and a few strands had fallen loose from the hold, tumbling down into her face and tickling her features with every slight movement, keeping a slight smile on her face through it all.

"It just… it sort of got to me, and it's always bothered me a little," Maya admitted, shrugging one shoulder as she turned her attention back to the piece she was working on, eyebrows crinkling at the sight, as though just now putting together what it was that she had created.

"It shouldn't," Josh said, flashing her a reassuring smile. "Because, contrary to what Steve said? I wouldn't have dated a girl three years younger than me, if all she had going for her was a pretty face and a hot body," he smirked.

"Really?" Maya asked, still frowning at her work as though confused about what she had made, despite her concentration on it for the past hour.

"I can find a pretty good to throw herself at me anyways, Maya," Josh snorted. "But a gorgeous girl who's loyal, hilarious, beautiful, generous, and talented? I hit the lottery with you, Maya, and that's why I couldn't care less about the age difference," he told her with an honest smile.

"You know," Maya said slowly, turning to face Josh on the seat and crossing her legs in front of her, mirroring the way that Josh was sitting, as she set her painting aside, face down. "When you say that…I believe you," she whispered.

"Have you given Lucas a chance to say it to you?" He wondered, cocking an eyebrow.

"Should I have to give him a chance?" She wondered, shooting him a certain look. "Shouldn't he just do it?"

"No," Josh rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "No, he shouldn't, because it's not the type of thing that he would ever think of having to defend himself about. Lucas isn't the type of guy to think that you would ever think about him or your relationship that way," Josh explained patiently.

"Why are you defending him?" Maya groaned, slamming her head back against the wall behind her. "Look at what I just spent the past _hour_ subconsciously working on!" She snapped, throwing her sketchbook across the turret and not even caring when it fell in a fluttered mess to the floor, a few pages bending over.

Josh immediately bent over, picking up the sketchbook and working on straightening out the pages, trying his best to put them back into their state of perfection.

And then his eyes settled on the piece she had just been working on, a beautiful arrangement of colorful oil pastels lines, all carefully planned out and projected onto the blank page in front of him.

It never failed to amaze him-the incredible things that Maya could create. He had always known she was talented, but seeing her in the process and looking at the finished project never failed to affect him. She was amazing and she had a gift that few people possessed.

The piece that she had just put together involved a large, blood red heart, that was so large its lines weren't able to completely fill in the page. It was shaded in with a slightly lighter shade of red, and outlined again by a thick, heavy, black line that gave the entire thing a rather three-dimension affect.

Filling the heart and tumbling out of it were a collection of objects. An acoustic guitar, an old Fender guitar in a bright shade of teal, a skateboard with stickers from obscene bands covered the bottom, a series of music notes, a video camera, the cover of _The Breakfast Club,_ a leather jacket, and a pair of deep, brown eyes with golden hues in them.

All of Josh's favorite things.

The acoustic guitar he'd had since he first started taking lessons. The old-fashioned guitar Maya had gotten for him for his birthday, right after they had first gotten together. The skateboard he had never quite mastered how to ride, but went out on whenever he was stressed out. The music, because of his obsession with it. The video camera because of his passion for films and the DVD case because it was his favorite movie. The leather jacket that he'd given her, before they'd even started dating. And the eyes that were so identical to his own.

"What's this supposed to mean?" Josh asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion at the sight.

"It means that I don't even know how I feel, because I picked Lucas, but I'm drawing a picture of a heart filled up with all of your favorite things. All of the things that I always loved about you," She burst out.

She seemed frantic. Josh had never seen her so stressed out or dramatic. She seemed to be losing control and Josh had no idea how he was supposed to handle it. He didn't know how he was supposed to help take care of her, because he had never once seen her lose her cool in such a way before. She always seemed to be collected, and this worried Josh.

"Maya, what's going on with you?" He asked, setting her sketchbook aside gently.

"I don't know, Josh," she sighed. "I just…I thought that it was all over. I thought I made the right decision. I thought I knew what I wanted," She whispered, playing with the necklace around her neck.

"You do know what you want," Josh said.

"What?"

"Look at what you're playing with," He smirked.

Maya glanced down at the ring hanging from the chain and a small smile took over her face, eyes lighting up at the sight.

"What's that got to do with anything?"  
"The look on your face when you see that-something that's so strongly connected to Lucas? That's how I know that it's Lucas, and it's always been Lucas," Josh explained.

"Why are you pushing for me to pick Lucas?" Maya asked.

"Because I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. And Lucas is going to make you happier than I ever was able to make you," Josh said, a sad smile on his face.

"I was happy with you, Josh," Maya told him honestly. "I could still be happy with you," She admitted.

"But not as happy as you are with Lucas," He finished.

"I never said that," Maya frowned.

"You don't need to say it. I can see it, Maya. I know you, remember?" he grinned, flashing her that shit-eating grin.

"Sometimes, I think that you know me better than I know myself," Maya admitted.

"That's because I do," Josh rolled his eyes. "Now, you're going to call Lucas and tell him that you want to talk. You're going to tell him the whole story about why you're so obsessed. And you're going to have him come over and sleepover, the way that he always does. And I'm going to leave, because _this,"_ he gestured between them. "is not my place anymore."

"You're always going to be my friend, Josh," Maya rolled her eyes, giggling at his antics.

"I'm going to be your friend," Josh agreed. "But, I'm not supposed to sit with you until the sun comes up when you're upset. That was never my place, to be honest. You always wanted somebody else to be there to keep you company when you were upset. It was always Lucas," Josh reminded her.

"Why are you being so cool about this?" Maya wondered.

"Because," Josh explained as he rose to his feet. "I still love you and I always will. And I choose to believe that, if you and I are going to end up together, it's gonna happen. But, until then, I won't stop you from being happy," he flashed her a grin, heading towards the door of her room.

"Lucas wouldn't be this cool," Maya teased him.

"That's a lie," Josh laughed, glancing at her over his shoulder. "He was even cooler than I was about sitting on the sidelines and waiting for his chance. I give the kid a lot of credit, because I could never do it," he admitted, closing the door behind him on his way out.

Maya shook her head, laughing at Josh's words.

She didn't know if she was lucky or cursed.

She had two amazing boys who were in love with her and she loved them both back. Sometimes, it was hard to say which one of them she loved more. They were perfect and they were her best friends. They understood her better than anybody else did, in two very different ways. They knew who she was, inside and out.

They had always been there for her and they wanted the best for her. And they were both perfectly content to sit on the sidelines and watch Maya be happy with somebody else, believing that things would work out in the end. Believing that Maya's happiness was more important than anything else.

It was all about Maya and what she wanted when it came to those boys, and Maya knew that any girl would envy to be in her shoes. The question that she had, though, was if they truly knew what they'd be getting themselves into.

After all, it created a mess. It created confusion and heartache. A fear.

Maya was terrified of losing either boy, and even though she was convinced that she loved Lucas Friar with all of her heart and couldn't imagine her life without him, sometimes she wondered about her feelings for Josh. After all, how could she be so passionate about her feelings for Lucas, yet still care for Josh?

She had to face the facts and except that she would never be able to get rid of the "what if" feelings inside of her. A part of her would always wonder if she would be feeling that way whenever she got into a fight with Lucas, if she had only picked Josh. Every single hardship that she and Lucas encountered would be met with doubt from Maya about whether or not she had been able to make the right decision.

Sighing as she grabbed her phone, unlocking it and dialing Lucas's number, she knew what she had to do.

For once in her life she had to stop stressing herself out. She had to stop questioning everything and fearing for the future. She had to believe that she had done the right thing and made the right decision.

"Maya? Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I just…listen, could you come over so that we can talk this all out in person? Besides, there's no way I can sleep tonight without you," she whispered, a sly smile on her face as she spoke.

"As soon as you and I are okay again, I'm kissing you senseless. I hope you know that," Lucas told her and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm looking forward to it," Maya grinned. "Now hurry up and get over here so we can get this talk out of the way?" She wondered.

"I've been sitting outside your apartment in my truck for the past hour, waiting for you to call me and hoping you'd invite me over," Lucas confessed.

Maya laughed as she hung up, racing over to her window and sliding it up, watching as he sprinted from his truck and up her fire escape.

* * *

"Maya, are you crazy?"

She and Lucas were sitting across one another on her bed, legs crossed in front of them as they talked to one another about the situation. Maya had told him all about the comment made in Josh's dorm room the year before and the fears that had taken over her life since then. Now, she was waiting for what Lucas's reply was going to be.

"How could you ever think that I was only dating you because you're gorgeous? Riley's gorgeous, too, remember? And I wanted to be with you, instead of her, because of the person that you are," he laughed, flashing her that reassuring grin that told her that she was being ridiculous for acting in such a foolish way.

"I don't know," Maya shrugged, unable to contain her own smile. "I just get worried about it," she replied.

"There's no reason to be scared," Lucas rolled his eyes. "I love you and I always have and I always will. You and me against the world," he promised her.

"Promise?" She wondered.

"Maya, I'll list all of the reasons that I love you so much if that'll make you feel better. There's no reason for you to feel like this, but you do and I can't tell you that you're wrong because of that. I want you to be happy and comfortable in our relationship. So, if that's what you need for that to happen, I'll do it," He offered.

"I'm not going to make you do that," Maya rolled her eyes.

"You're loyal-I've never met anybody as blindly loyal as you are. You're confident. The most confident girl that I've ever met, as a matter of fact. You're hilarious and you never fail to make me laugh. You're kind and compassionate and the way that you put Riley before yourself no matter what never fails to amaze me. And you're so talented that I can't get over it. Seriously, I can't get over how talented you are," He grinned, reaching towards her sketchbook and flipping through the pages.

When he got to her most recent one, however, he froze, staring at it in shock.

"What's this?"

His voice was hollow and lacking emotion. He didn't seem like the Lucas that Maya had known from all of these years. He seemed angry, ready to snap at the littlest thing.

It was clear what it was, of course. Lucas wasn't stupid and Maya didn't think that he was. Anybody who saw the picture would be able to figure out what it was and make a pretty accurate hypothesis about what it meant. Lucas wasn't really asking what it was supposed to be. Instead, he wanted Maya to explain what had been running through her mind when she had created it and what had possessed her to create such a thing.

"I just kind of got lost in my sketch," She said honestly, taking her sketchbook back from him and staring down at the picture.

"That's a heart, and it's covered in things that define Josh," Lucas said flatly.

"It doesn't mean anything," Maya whispered.

"Maya, tell me the truth," Lucas said, reaching out and taking her hands in his own. "Were you doubting your decision to pick me?" he wondered, staring at her with soft, understanding eyes as he waited for her to make eye contact with him.

"Yes," She whispered.

"Are you still?"

"No."

"Can you explain your thought process to me, though?" Lucas wondered, pulling her in close to him, so that she was curled up in his lap.

"I just…. I kept worrying that I made the wrong decision, because I thought that… well, maybe if I had picked Josh, I would be feeling the way that I did tonight. I felt miserable and I thought, just for a second, that, if I had picked Josh, that never would have happened," she confessed, and Lucas could hear the frustration and anguish in her voice as she spoke.

"Maya, that's understandable," Lucas assured her. "I mean, I wish that you'd never have to doubt yourself or your choice about me, but I can understand that you might have doubted yourself once or twice," he promised, rubbing a hand up and down her arm in an attempt to comfort her.

"Josh talked me out of it," Maya admitted, turning her face to look up at him.

"Josh talked you out of being confused?" Lucas asked, an amused smirk on his face as he began to play with her hair.

"Of course," Maya rolled her eyes. "He told me that it was always you and that I can't be upset with you because of feelings that were triggered from some jerk college guy years ago, because you aren't the type of guy who would think of me that way," she explained.

"I'm gonna have to thank him, aren't I?" Lucas groaned.

"You are indeed," Maya teased, rolling over so that she was sitting on her knees. "But…. Not tonight," she smirked.

"What's going to happen tonight, then?"

"This."

And then Maya was shoving Lucas backwards, lying on top of him and pressing her lips firmly up against his.

"Shawn's in the other room," Lucas whispered against her lips, but he wasn't making any effort to push her away.

Instead, his hands were resting on her hips, slowly running up and down her body and cupping at her ass, giving it a tight squeeze whenever he reached it. A hand ran through her hair, tugging it from it's ponytail and getting tangled in her curls.

"I don't care. It's after midnight-he's sleeping," she shook her head. "Besides, his room's too far away to hear anything," she assured him a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Maya…" Lucas tore himself from her, climbing to his feet in order to resist her. "Not like this," he shook his head.

"What?" Maya frowned. "Huckleberry… don't you want to?" She asked, sticking out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

It just made it even harder for him to resist her, because all he wanted to do was bite that bottom lip and wrap her in his arms, keeping her body lying beneath his own. All he wanted was every single part of her.

But, he wouldn't allow it to happen like this. Not when they had just gotten into a fight. Not when she had been doubting their relationship. He wasn't going to let either of their first times happen this way, because that wasn't the way that it should happen. It should be special, because she was Maya Hart and she deserved special.

"We need to talk about this, first," He insisted, dropping down on the edge of the bed, but refusing to look at her.

"About what?" she wondered, crawling over to sit next to him.

"Could you maybe not sit that close to me?" he said through clenched teeth, burying his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his thighs.

"You want to do this, Ranger Rick…why are you trying to fight it?" she sighed, but she slid a little bit away from him all the same.

"Because, Maya. You were questioning our relationship an hour ago and sitting here with another guy who had to talk you into believing you made the right decision. You don't really want this, and we're not doing it this way, after a fight. Not our first time," he told her, flashing her that cowboy grin he knew she loved to make fun of.

"But I love you," Maya told him.

"I love you too," He grinned. "You still gonna love me tomorrow?"

"I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life."

"Then, we've got a couple more years. I think we can wait one more night."

"You're gonna make this all sappy and special, aren't you?"

"It can't be planned out, Maya. It's a heat of the moment, full of passion type of thing."

"But?"

"But, my moment? It's gonna be my moment," he smirked, leaning in and kissing her, long and slow.

"Thought you couldn't control yourself?" Maya teased.

"We can make out a little," Lucas rolled his eyes. "I think I'll be okay doing that much."

* * *

Josh walked into his dorm room and threw the first item he could find across the room. His roommate was out at some party, so he didn't have to worry about disturbing him. And he didn't really care either way, because he was angry.

He had been so close to being able to get Maya back. All he'd had to do was kiss her, in that one, small moment of doubt about her relationship with Lucas, and they would be back to being the power couple they had always been. They would be back to being their old selves and he would be able to be truly happy again.

But, he had had to be the stand up guy that he was. He had to fight all urges to take advantage of her, because he knew that she deserved better than that. And he wasn't going to stand by and play an active part in her cheating on Lucas, because he knew that her cheating would follow her for the rest of her life and she would never forgive herself.

She would be miserable, forever, if she had cheated on Lucas and started a relationship with Josh right back up. She would blame herself for breaking Lucas's heart and every bad decision that he ever made after that would be her fault, in her mind. Even if she had nothing to do with it, she would blame herself.

And that would mean that Josh would never have Maya back. Not truly. Not if he did it that way, because that wouldn't be right. He would have a different girl back in his life and it wouldn't be the girl that he had fallen in love with so long ago.

Even knowing all of this, though, he hated himself for not doing something to encourage an end to her sham of a relationship with Lucas and drive her right back into his open arms.

Of course, that wasn't fair, either, because Josh knew that Lucas loved Maya. Lucas loved the blonde just as much as Josh loved her, and that was saying a lot. Lucas had been in love with Maya since the moment he had first lied eyes on her.

And Maya had been in love with Lucas for almost as long. She had fallen for him, despite a crush on Josh. Right before she and Josh had gotten together, she had described him as being a fantasy, telling everybody that you don't date a fantasy. Hearing those words had crushed him, but, in the end, he had been able to prove her wrong.

Still, there had always been some fear in him that Maya was going to realize that she loved Lucas as much, if not more, than she loved Josh. She was crazy about the Texan boy and everybody knew it, including Josh.

Lucas and Josh were a lot alike. They both loved Maya and they both wanted her more than anything else in the world. As long as they had Maya, they were going to be okay and they could do anything. Maya was their only goal in life, and neither boy would be happy until they got her.

But, they were different, too.

Because Lucas hadn't fought for Maya. Not hard enough, at least.

Josh may have pushed aside his feelings until they were at a point where it would make more sense for Maya and him to get together, but when he had started fighting for Maya, he had fought long and hard.

Lucas, however, had rolled over and done whatever it was that Maya had asked of him. He had dated her best friend. He had claimed to love her best friend. And he sat on the sidelines and watched as Maya enjoyed a relationship with somebody else. And Lucas acted as though he was happy for her.

Up until it became clear that Maya's feelings for Lucas may be fading away. When Lucas could feel Maya slipping through his fingers, he went up to bat and he started to fight for her.

And Josh couldn't blame him, because he had finally caved because he feared that Maya was over him. That Maya was going to go after Lucas and do whatever it took to get him. The real reason that Josh had started to fight for her was because he thought that it was time for him to fight for her, out of fear that he was going to lose her completely.

So, maybe Josh and Lucas weren't as different as the older boy had originally thought.

After all, they were both wrapped around the tiny little finger a tiny little blonde named Maya Penelope Hart.

He sighed, crossing the room to pick up the item he had thrown.

It had been a framed photograph-one of him and Maya. It was in a beautifully decorated, canvas frame so no damage was done to it. Maya had given it to him on their one-month anniversary, having decorated the canvas with an elaborate pattern surrounding the photo and a quote declaring that all love stories were beautiful, but theirs was her favorite.

In the picture, Maya was tossed over Josh's shoulder, her face hidden as her blonde curls tumbled to cover it. She was hanging upside down, with an arm thrown behind him to support her and he was laughing.

He remembered the exact moment the picture had been taken. Maya had been teasing him, driving him insane when they were on that trip to the ski lodge before they started dating. She had been complaining about being tired, begging for Lucas to carry her for the rest of the hike. Josh had gotten frustrated and thrown her over his shoulder, saying he was going to throw her in the lake when they finished the hike they were on. She had been squealing and calling for help. He didn't know who had taken the picture of them, but he was glad that somebody had thought to do it.


	29. I'm Coming Out

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 29: I'm Coming Out**

 _ **A/N: I'm making a bit of a controversial decision here. Maybe some of you won't really like it, but I've had so many ideas swirling around in my head and this was the best way to make the most of those ideas possible. Besides, I sort of like the idea. Also, I have a question for you all. I was asked if I'm going to describe Lucaya's "special" moment. As readers, do you guys want a more M-rated, descriptive version of that scene, or do you want it as cut-and-dry as possible? I want to make sure I do it justice, but I don't make any of you guys uncomfortable, so please give me your thoughts.**_

* * *

Riley had never been more excited for a date in her entire life. She was so excited, in fact, that she had woken up at six o'clock to get ready and was spending every last second making sure she looked absolutely perfect.

With fifteen minutes to spare, she was still confused as to what she should wear. Her hair was done, with the two front strands pulled back to keep her hair from falling into her face and creating a slight crown effect on her perfectly, pin straight, frizz free hair. Her makeup was a bit heavier than she usually would apply it, with the same sparkly hues that had became her signature style in regards to her makeup.

She looked gorgeous, and she knew it. Her hair was absolutely perfect and her makeup was on point. Maya would be proud of her for her appearance.

Yet, she was standing in front of her closet, completely confused about what she was supposed to wear. Of course, she knew that she had to look good and put on something just a little fancier than she would usually wear, but she wasn't sure exactly what to wear. She didn't know what would be pushing it too far and she definitely didn't know what would be too little. She had no idea what to do.

And she really didn't have anybody there to help her, either, because she was terrified of calling Maya and asking for help after their blowout the night before. As far as Riley knew, nobody had spoken to Maya since she had left Farkle's place.

Riley wasn't going to break the ice over something so mundane and superficial, because she knew exactly how Maya would react. Besides, the blonde was clearly hurting and Riley definitely wasn't selfish enough to expect her to put that aside in order to tell Riley what she should be wearing.

Besides, it wasn't like she was completely alone.

Smackle had crashed at her house the night before, too tired to make her way home. And besides that, Topanga had declared that it was far too late for Smackle to get home on her own, and Smackle refused to be a burden on Riley's parents.

"Izzy?" Riley asked, turning around and praying that the glossy haired beauty was awake by this point. "You up?"

"Huh?" Smackle groaned, rolling over from her side and onto her back, slowly rising to an upright sitting position. "What are you doing up this early? It's a _Saturday,"_ she rolled her eyes, reaching for her glasses on Riley's bedside table.

"I have a date with Farkle," Riley whispered. "We're heading into the city. He'll be here in fifteen minutes," she whined.

"Riles…. You're still not dressed yet," Smackle pointed out.

"I know!" Riley cried out in distress, dropping to the ground and settling down into a pile of her discarded clothes.

"Am I late? Did I miss it? Please tell me you're not wearing a unicorn sweater."

"MAYA!" Riley shot up to her feet and raced towards the window, tackling her best friend with a hug before she had even completely made it through the window and into the room.

"Careful," Maya laughed, pushing Riley away gently so that she could climb into the room completely and settle down onto the Bay Window. "We have ten minutes to get you dressed," she sighed, observing her best friend, wrapped up in her bathrobe, despite the rest of her looking flawless.

"I know!" Riley whined. "Help me?" she pleaded.

Maya shot her a knowing look and hung her head out of the window.

"Lucas, you gotta wait outside-Riles still isn't dressed," she called out.

"Lucas is here?" Riley asked, eyes growing wide. "So you guys are okay?"

"Everything's good. Sorry I freaked on you guys last night," Maya shrugged her shoulders as she made her way towards Riley's closet, sorting through her dresses.

"I didn't know about what that guy said at NYU! I didn't have any idea that you felt that way. I'm so sorry, Peaches!"

"Riles," Maya rolled her eyes, grabbing a mint green, cap-sleeve, high necked, skater dress and tossing it at her friend. "It's okay. Now get dressed. And I'm borrowing some clothes," she added on.

"You're already dressed," Riley frowned, pulling the dress on and checking her hair to make sure it was still in tact.

"We're picking Zay up and grabbing some breakfast. So, I need some clothes for Smackle," She replied, digging back through the closet.

"We are?" Smackle frowned.

"You have one of those Academic Pentathlon thingies today at one, don't you? We figured we might as well come support you, since you do that for us every Friday," Maya shrugged, examining an old pair of dark denim, cuffed shorts before nodding in approval and tossing them to Smackle.

"Is that why you look so swanky?" Riley wondered, scanning her shoe collection with interest.

Maya eyed her outfit in confusion. She was wearing a pair of faded denim, ultra distressed and super frayed shorts with a V-neck, black Ramones tee shirt and black Converse. Her curls were piled up into a sloppy bun on the top of her head, still slightly damp from her shower that morning, and her makeup was done the same as always.

"It's a Saturday and you're dressed with makeup done. That's swanky for you," Riley shrugged, slipping into a pair of wedged, black ankle booties.

"Please stop using that word-and get to the living room, because Farkle's gonna be here any second and you know he's terrified of your dad," Maya rolled her eyes as she tossed Smackle one of Riley's Abigail Adams High tee shirts. "And hurry up and get dressed, because I'm starving," She smiled at the other girl.

"You guys don't have to come to this today," Smackle rolled her eyes, tying her hair into two twin braids. "It's going to be boring," She explained.

"And I bet that our football games are boring to you," Maya stated. "But you sit through them anyways, so we're coming to support you," she stated adamantly.

Smackle just smiled, proud to have such loyal and incredible friends. She felt especially lucky to have a friend like Maya.

* * *

"Hey," Lucas wrapped an arm around Maya's shoulder, leaning in close as he rested his head on her shoulder, putting his lips close to her ear. "So, my mom's spending the weekend in Texas to visit my grandparents... maybe we, could, uh, revisit that topic from last night?"

Maya smirked, sitting up straight in her seat and crossing one leg over the other, attempting to cover up her nervousness at the question that Lucas had just asked her. Of course, the shifting of her legs and the redistribution of her weight should have been dead giveaways that she was, in fact, nervous about what he had just offered to her.

Lucas, of course, sensed her disease immediately and retracted his former statement, losing his sly grin and secretive glances immediately, replacing them with a sheepish grin and shameful eyes.

"I was… I just thought I'd… we don't have to, obviously," he whispered, moving away from her and returning his attention to Smackle, working her way through a complex math problem with far too many numbers or letters for Maya's liking.

She knew that she was being a little unfair to Lucas. After all, the night before she had been practically begging for him to have his way with her. He had been the one to reject her, not wanting them to spend their first night together in the romantic sense with Shawn a few rooms away, after their first fight and immediately after Maya had been doubting her decision to choose him.

But, she had been so caught up in the heat of the moment the night before that she hadn't been thinking straight. She hadn't thought about any of the consequences or anything that might come along with making such a decision. She hadn't been thinking about if Lucas had protection or not. She hadn't thought about whether or not she had been actively remembering to take the birth control pill her mother had forced her to start taking when she had started her relationship with Josh, much to Riley's envy. And she hadn't thought about any of the serious health risks that couldn't be completely prevented by either means of protection she or Lucas might have on hand.

It was wrong of her and she knew it, to give a hormonal and slightly horny teenage boy the offer and then immediately retract it. And it wasn't like she felt as though she were required to sleep with Lucas, just because she had made the offer the night before. She wasn't stupid, to think that a one-time offer became a lifetime commitment, and she was sure that Lucas didn't think that way either.

Still, the guilt existed, deep in the put of her stomach and she had no idea how she was supposed to handle that.

Lucas would never demand that of her, she was sure of it. But, it didn't change the feeling eating away at her inside that told her that if she kept up this game-of offering and then rejecting when Lucas was willing-she would start to seem a little bit like a tease. The girl who offered and then pulled it away, just to get a guy excited before letting him down.

And she wouldn't allow herself to be considered such a sexist term. Because, Lucas may not be the type of guy to think of girls that way and act like that towards them, but he was a teenage boy. He was a typical teenage boy who was overcome by his hormones and had to fight to overcome his desires. Eventually, he would grow bitter and slightly desperate and he just wouldn't be able to stop himself from feeling that way about her, no matter how hard he tried to fight it off.

Just like how his friendship with Riley was tainted, because of the bitterness he had started to feel towards her after being in a relationship with her that had almost cost him a chance with Maya, he would be unable to help himself when it came to those feelings.

Besides, a large part of her really did want to do it.

She had never wanted to with Josh. The feelings had been strong and she had loved him, but she had always wanted to wait and push it off. She wanted to take some time and wait, until the moment was right and the risks were a lot less severe. And she had been able to resist that, because her desires hadn't been anywhere near as strong.

These feelings were new to her and she had no idea what to do to fight them off. She loved Lucas and she wanted to be with him, but her brain was fighting her impulses.

"Maya," Lucas sighed, his lips pressed up her ear again. "I'm not trying to pressure you. I just….I just thought that I'd ask, after everything that happened last night."

"Can we talk about this later? When we can actually…. _Talk?"_ she asked, turning towards him and leaning back, just slightly, starting him due to her sudden movement.

"Of course," He said, relief flooding his eyes because of the fact that she was actually answering him-actually speaking to him-and that she didn't seem angry or upset in any way, shape or form.

He would sit there and deal with the fact she seemed slightly shocked and confused. That was acceptable. As long as she wasn't angry with him. He could deal with anything else, because he had Maya and they were going to be okay. They would continue to strive as the power couple that they had always excelled at being.

He could sit there and handle any emotion she threw at him, as long as it wasn't anger, because when Maya was angry with him, he felt awful. The only thing worse than anger was when she was upset with him, because he hated to be the cause of her being upset. He wanted to make her happy. He never wanted to make her sad or upset. He only wanted to be the reason behind her smile.

If he was going to mess up her makeup, it was going to be her lipstick, not her mascara.

* * *

Maya was lying on her stomach in Lucas's room, munching on the slice of pizza from her favorite Brooklyn pizzeria as she flipped through a catalogue from her favorite store, legs kicked up in the air as she waved her feet in the air, along with the beat of the country song playing in the background.

Lucas was sitting in a bean bag chair, staring at his girlfriend as he worked his way through his own slice of pizza, eyes focused on the beautiful girl sitting across the room from him, trying to figure out how he possibly could have gotten so lucky.

He knew that he'd made a lot of mistakes along the road of trying to get with Maya. He had made plenty of horrible mistakes, as a matter of fact. He had almost lost her so many times and he had potentially given up his chances with her a multitude of times. Yet, there he was, sitting with her and able to call her his own.

He was dating _Maya Hart._

He was dating the beautiful, bold, confident, sexy, talented Maya Hart and nobody else could have her. He got to hold her in his arms and see her wearing his clothes and know that nobody else would ever have her there.

Because he wasn't going to be giving her up anytime soon.

He held so many special titles in her heart. He was the first kiss. He was the first date. He was-technically speaking-the first boyfriend she had ever had. And now, he was so close to being her _first._

Of course, none of that really mattered to him. He knew that being the first didn't mean that he was entitled to anything with her. All he had was the title, and that was it. But, at least it meant that, no matter who else she was with, Lucas would always be remembered and he would always be special to her. And that was what he needed-the reassurance that Maya was always going to have a special place in her heart for him.

Still, he didn't plan on losing her anytime soon, because losing her?

That would kill Lucas, because the thought of her being with another guy disgusted him. It killed him and tore him apart inside, because he couldn't stand the idea of some guy wrapping his arms around Maya's tiny waist and grabbing at her curves with his greedy hands. Imagining another guy kissing Maya drove him insane, because he wanted to be the only guy to claim her lips with his own.

It had taken every level of self control to fight the urge to beat Josh to a pulp every single time he had allowed his hand to so much as brush past Maya's skin over the past year when the two had been a couple.

Because some other guy was daring to touch what was _his._ Somebody else was touching the girl that was supposed to be with Lucas.

Not to imply that Maya belonged to Lucas, because she definitely wasn't property to him. But, he knew that he belonged with Maya. He knew that the two of them belonged together and he hated the fact that they she didn't seem to understand that just yet.

Now, though?

Everything was different. Everything was better. It was right back on track, and he got to be with her and have everything that he had ever wanted in his life.

"Alright, Huckleberry," Maya sighed, tossing her plate and magazine onto the floor as she rolled over onto her side, using an elbow to prop herself up and smirk at him, knowing that she looked good.

"Alright, _what?"_ he smirked, setting his own plate aside and leaning in close to her.

"You wanted to talk about something…. The prospect of you and me, doing this one thing… I can't remember what it's called though," She said thoughtfully, sticking out her bottom lip in a thoughtful pout.

"Yes, Maya," Lucas groaned, throwing his head back in frustration at the sight of her like that, knowing that he couldn't have her just yet. "I want to have sex with you. When you're ready, though, and not a second before that," he admitted.

"Well, I need to know some things," Maya said, shooting upright and sitting cross legged on his bed, hands in her lap.

"Like what?" He asked gently. "You know I'm a virgin," he chuckled, rising to his feet and crossing the room, to sit down across from her on his bed, legs crossed the same way, the way they had been sitting the night before on her own bed.

"It's just….you have protection, right?" He wondered, peaking up at him from below her eyelashes with a secretive, shy smile.

Lucas rolled his eyes, leaning over her and into his nightstand, pulling out an unopened box of condoms with a smirk.

"I'm a virgin, but I'm still a sixteen-year-old guy," He informed her, dropping the box back into the drawer of his stand and slamming it shut.

"And Mamma Friar hasn't spotted those yet and sent you on back to the farm to work with the cows and the chickens to get all that sin out of you?" Maya teased, faking a dramatic Southern accent.

"Have you _ever_ heard me talk? Like, even once?" He frowned, dropping back down onto his butt.

"Of course," she smirked. "That's why I use that voice."

"Alright-is that all you wanted to know?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No," she shook her head. "I'm on the pill, just so you know," She added on quickly, saying it as though she hoped that he missed what she was telling him.

"I know," He snickered. "Riley whined about it, because Cory was adamant about her getting on it herself. And then she complained about the fact that I didn't see why it upset her so much, because I wanted to wait until marriage," he shrugged.

"Exactly," She whispered.

"You want to wait until marriage?" he frowned, crinkling his eyebrows together.

"No," Maya rolled her eyes. "But, you always wanted to," she shrugged her shoulders.

"That was just something I told Riley, to get her to stop pestering me about it," Lucas explained, that boyish smile in place.

"Huckleberry, you told Riley you wanted to wait until marriage. If you and I hook up, she's gonna freak when she finds out, because it's just another lie you told her over the course of your relationship," Maya groaned, falling backwards on the pile of pillows behind her, legs still crossed pretzel style.

"She gets it, Maya," Lucas sighed, grabbing her hands and pulling her back up into a sitting position. "She knows that I love you and that things are different with us. I changed my mind, what's the problem?"

"She's just gonna feel rejected again," Maya whined.

"Maya, do you want to have sex with me or not?" Lucas asked, green eyes locked on her blue.

"Of course I do."

"Then can we make a deal? Can this be one part of our relationship where we don't worry about Riley and her feelings? Because I'm sick and tired of allowing Riley to stand in the way of our happiness and dictate our relationship. I want to be with _you,_ Maya, and that means that _you're_ my priority. I care about _your_ feelings. Not Riley's," he told her, voice sincere and full of so much honesty that she couldn't even find his statement to be harsh or bitter in any way, shape, or form.

He was merely asking, because all he wanted was a chance to be with Maya-to finally be free of Riley and the ridiculous hold that she seemed to have over them and their relationship. Because, to Lucas, Riley no longer mattered. He didn't want to see her hurting because of him, but he also didn't want to have to surrender his own happiness or Maya's happiness for the brunette. And he definitely didn't want to allow his former relationship to affect his current relationship.

Riley had controlled their relationship enough and she had done enough damage. Even if it wasn't all her part and if it wasn't completely intentional, he wasn't going to stand by and allow her to affect any other part of his relationship with Maya. Especially not something as big as this.

"Maya, I was never going to propose to Riley and we all know that. Does that mean I'm never supposed to propose to you? Because I plan on doing that, eventually," Lucas said, just a touch of humor in his voice as he went on making his case.

"Lucas, that's not-"

She cut herself off, though, because they both knew that he had a point. Maya's urge to protect Riley and her feelings meant that she might as well break up with Lucas, because their relationship would never be able to progress past where it currently was. And what was the point of being in a dead end relationship that wasn't going to go anywhere?

"Not what? Not relevant? Because it is. Maya, is everything in our relationship always going to come back to Riley? Because... well, if it's always going to come back to her and her feelings and your friendship with her…. I don't know if I can really be in a relationship with you," he said.

His reaction once the words had left his mouth showed that he didn't mean it. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped and he gulped. His entire body immediately tensed up and he stared at Maya with pleading, hopeful eyes.

He wanted her to understand that he hadn't meant it. Not in the slightest. No part of him was ever going to break up with her. But, he had said them and now they were out there.

Maya's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing as her mouth formed a hard, solid line. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her nose wrinkled as her fists clenched. Every muscle in her body became tight as she watched him, daring him to try to talk his way out of the situation that he had just put himself.

"Riley's my best friend," Maya said flatly, without a single change in her expression. "Her feelings are always going to matter to me. So, if you can't handle that, maybe we need to break up, right now."

"Maya, you know-"

"I know _what_ exactly?" She asked, raising a single eyebrow.

"I didn't mean it like that," He pleaded.

"But you said it! You're so caught up in having me and this relationship that you just threatened to end things with me if I didn't put myself and our relationship before my best friend," Maya said, eyes dark.

"Because you should put our relationship before some things, Maya," Lucas sighed. "Listen, I know that Riley's important to you and I shouldn't have made it seem like our relationship needs to come before everything else in your life, especially your friendship with Riley, but… aren't there some things that our relationship is more important than?" he wondered, running a hand through his hair.

"Ranger Rick," Maya sighed, and her use of a nickname was enough to give him hope that they could make it out of this situation. "I love you and our relationship is important to me. But I cannot make you happy at the expense of Riley," she explained.

"I know," Lucas sighed. "It just sucks that I have to walk on eggshells with my girlfriend because of her," he admitted, lowering his head in shame.

"That's my fault," Maya admitted, her expression softening. "I pushed you to be with Riley because I was so afraid of her getting hurt, and now I'm making this relationship harder than it needs to be, when it's all you've wanted since middle school, because I don't want to make Riley feel bad that I'm with her ex-boyfriend, and we're a hell of a lot more serious than you two ever were," she sighed.

"You were trying to protect her," Lucas said, placing a comforting hand on her knee. "You didn't know that I was never gonna get over you," he flashed her a reassuring grin.

"I just… Lucas, I love you, but what am I supposed to do? She's my best friend and she'll kill me if I keep things from her. But, it'll kill her to constantly be reminded of how much stronger our relationship is than what you two had. I'll always feel like I'm rubbing it in her face," Maya sighed.

"Riley's with Farkle, Maya," Lucas reminded her. "How about we give them some time to settle into their relationship and for her to get used to the idea of you and me being together? We'll take things slow and we'll ease into everything," he smiled, taking her hands in his own and giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"That should-"

 _It's like you're always stuck in second gear-when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year-I'll be there for you_

They were interrupted by Maya's cellphone going off with the ringtone that she had set for Riley. Maya sighed, picking the phone up from where it was set besides her and slid to answer the call, the way that she always did when it was Riley, no matter what was going on.

"Talk to me," She said, unable to contain the smile that came over her whenever Riley called her.

Lucas couldn't hear what was on the other end, but he noticed an immediate change in Maya as soon as she had greeted her best friend. Her smile was immediately wiped away and the sparkle left her eyes. Instead, she looked worried, eyes full of concern. She was up and gathering her things before Lucas was even able to ask her if everything was okay.

"Riles, calm down. I'm on my way to your house. I'm gonna stop by Insomnia Cookies and grab the BMOC full of chocolate chunk, peanut butter chip, double chocolate mint and double chocolate chunk," She assured her friend, promising to get a box of twenty-four of the traditional cookies.

She was quiet for a little while, glancing at Lucas and gesturing towards his keys, signaling that she needed a ride. He jumped to his feet, slipping on shoes and grabbing his keys as he followed her out of his room and out of his apartment, heading towards the parking garage where his truck was parked.

"Wait? It's that bad? You need some of the chocolate peanut butter cup cookies too? I can get you six of those, too," Maya assured, the concern evident in her voice. "Lucas and I are almost to his truck now. I'll be there in thirty minutes," She assured her best friend before hanging up.

"What's wrong with Riley?" Lucas asked.

"No clue," Maya shrugged. "She was crying as soon as I answered. Clearly her date with Farkle didn't go very well," She rolled her eyes as she started dialing Farkle's number in her phone.

"You can't call Farkle and start screaming at him. You don't know what happened!" Lucas told her sternly as they approached the truck.

"That's what I'm going to find out," Maya replied.

"Just don't accuse him of anything," Lucas sighed, unlocking the truck and opening Maya's door to help her inside.

"Of course I-Farkle! Hey, I got a question for you," Maya said, sounding far more cheerful than she looked as she lifted herself into the truck, slamming the door shut behind her and pulling on her seatbelt.

Lucas made his way towards his own seat, settling into the driver's seat and starting up the truck, pulling on his seatbelt as he made his way out of the parking lot and down towards the girls' favorite cookie place.

"Of course I'm going to ask you about your date with Riley. Because she just called me-what do you mean you don't know why she's upset? You kissed her and she freaked out? I don't understand," Maya frowned, releasing her hair from her ponytail.

Lucas frowned as he drove, trying to figure out the situation that was unfolding around him. Nothing was making any sense, because, from where he was standing, Farkle and Riley should be perfectly content in a relationship with one another. They clearly cared about one another and it didn't make sense that their date hadn't been perfect. And it definitely didn't make sense that a single kiss had been enough to ruin their entire date.

"She said she can't be your girlfriend? Listen, Farks, I'll figure it out, okay? Let me talk to her, and I'll get to the bottom of this," Maya sighed, running a hand through her hair to show her distress as she hung up the phone.

She stared out the window, too worried to speak or try to play music. And Lucas allowed her to sit there in silence, because he knew that her worry for Riley was taking over everything right now.

* * *

Maya came bursting into Riley's room through the window with five boxes of cookies stacked up in her arms. Dropping them down on the cushioned window seat,

"Tell me what's going?" Maya asked, accepting one of the glasses of milk that Riley was holding out to her and opening a box of cookies, removing a chocolate chunk.

"Farkle kissed me and I didn't feel anything," Riley blurted, before grabbing an entire box of cookies-the double chocolate peanut butter cup cookies-and grabbing a handful.

"Huh?"

"Do you feel sparks when you kiss Lucas?"

"Fireworks."

"Yeah, well I was expecting that and I got nada. And I felt nada when I kissed Lucas. I… Maya, I kinda think that…. Well, I kinda think that I don't really like boys," Riley whispered.

"Just because you didn't feel anything when you kissed two boys?" Maya wondered, eyebrows raised.

"I wasn't attracted to Farkle until you guys all made it seem like I needed to be. And the same thing with Lucas. I mean, obviously he's gorgeous, but I felt like I was supposed to be with him more than anything else…. But…I don't know," Riley sighed, stuffing a cookie into her mouth.

"Riley, this isn't a decision that you make randomly. You have to have been feeling this way for a while," Maya sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"I….Maya, I think I may have a crush on a girl," Riley admitted.

"Riley…. Think _very_ carefully about what you're about to say, because I'm going to stand by you no matter what, but this is serious. It's not a game," Maya said softly, her voice gentle.

"Maya….I'm gay."


	30. Confessions

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A GMW Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 30: Confessions**

 _ **A/N: So, you guys have spoken and the scene between Maya and Lucas will be more on the descriptive side! And, from the feedback I got so far, you guys accepted my last minute impulse on Riley's sexuality way better than I accepted. I bounced back and forth about it, because I really do love Riarkle, but that's done in most Lucaya stories and I thought I'd do something a little bit different. And now to answer some questions:**_

 _ **Flash fan5300: I try to get a chapter out at least every other day for one of my stories. Right now I have two active stories and then a series of one-shots. I work on one chapter for each story at a time and whichever one I finish first (typically whichever story I'm at a part that inspires me the most) gets posted. So, expect a chapter at least least once ever two days for the time being, because this is the story that I'm the most hooked on working on at the moment. But, after I watch both parts of Ski Lodge, I'm planning on starting another story with an idea I've been toying with, so the frequencies of updates will change again.**_

* * *

"Riles," Maya sighed, shaking her head. "Why do you say that? Just because you didn't like kissing Farkle and you didn't like kissing Lucas?"

"Because I have a crush on a girl, Maya!" Riley insisted, a pleading look in her eyes that begged Maya to believe her.

"Can you explain this whole thing to me? From the beginning, please?" Maya wondered, choosing to give Riley the benefit of the doubt, because that was what best friends did-they believed one another at all times.

"Peaches…I always knew that Lucas was attractive-he had all of the physical attributes that make a guy attractive to a girl. It was obvious that he was good looking, because he was the classical definition of being cute. But, I wasn't _attracted_ to him. And I tried everything. Maya, I was going to sleep with him, because I so just wanted it to be worth it-the entire triangle situation and hurting you. I wanted to believe that I did the right thing, after being so adamant that Lucas and I were meant to be… but, a part of me always wondered if, maybe, I just thought I needed to be with him, because everybody always said we were going to be together," Riley explained slowly, staring at the cookies in her hands, focusing on them as though they were the most important things in the world.

"Okay?" Maya said, teeth clenched together as she spoke.

A part of her wanted to grab Riley by the shoulders and shake her. Because, Riley had caused so much drama in everybody's lives by clinging onto an idea of being with Lucas, when even the brunette wasn't sure that it was the right thing. Riley herself had questioned her own feelings for Lucas, but she had still insisted on fighting for him, no matter what.

But, Maya knew that she couldn't do that, because it was unfair. After all, Maya had forced Riley and Lucas together. If Maya had fought harder, rather than given up, maybe things would have been okay. Maybe Riley wouldn't be this confused mess at the moment and Maya would have a healthy and thriving relationship with Lucas.

Nothing could change the past, however, and these decisions had been made. These were the consequences and they had to deal with them.

"And, then, I saw Farkle and Smackle together and it killed me. And I hated it. I despised how happy they were, because I just didn't think that they were right together. When you and Lucas told me about how Farkle loved me and how you thought I loved him…well, I figured that that was why I was always so bitter about them being together. Because I wanted Farkle, and I was jealous of Smackle for having him, when he was what I wanted so badly," she ran a hand through her dark locks, clutching her cookies with the other hand so tightly that Maya was surprised they hadn't started to crumble yet.

"But?"

"But, when I was hanging out with Smackle last night, I realized that I was jealous of everybody else in our group, because they all have some sort of relationship with Smackle. Everybody knows Izzy better than I do and they have this amazing relationship with her. And I hate them for it, because I wish that I could be that close with her. And the whole time I was out with Farkle today, I was missing Smackle. Because she's kind and she's sweet and…well, I couldn't stop thinking about her. And when Farkle kissed me? I felt the same as when I kissed Lucas-absolutely nothing," Riley sighed, looking up at Maya with watery eyes.

"So, you're in love with Smackle?" Maya wondered, raising her eyebrows.

"I know, it's stupid, right? She's not into me…she's clearly into Zay, right? She likes guys, so it doesn't even matter what I choose to do about this, because it's not like I'm ever going to get a chance to be with her. I mean, maybe I'm just confused? That's a possibility, right? I could just be confused and-"

Maya cut Riley off right then and there, grabbing her best friend by the shoulders and pulling her in close, pressing her lips up against Riley in a slow, gentle kiss. They'd kissed before, of course, during drunken games of truth-or-dare, or a tipsy game of spin-the-bottle. All of those had been sloppy and awkward, matched with gawking teenage boys and dimmed by the alcohol they'd both consumed before each kiss.

This one was different, because it was completely sober. It was casual, of course, but it was done with a purpose.

Maya pushed Riley away and crossed her arms over her chest, cocking an eyebrow at her

"Well?"

Riley gulped, leaning over to pick up the cookies she had dropped on the floor from her shock at Maya's outburst.

"Riley, what did you feel?"

"I felt…it felt _good,"_ Riley admitted. "Like, what I always thought kissing would feel like. It felt romantic, and Lucas and Farkle's kisses felt like kissing my brother in comparison," Riley whispered, staring at the crumbled cookies filling her hands.

"Okay," Maya said, a small nod accompanying the words.

"Maya…I'm gay, aren't I?" Riley asked, sneaking a peak up at her best friend.

"I think so, Riles," Maya nodded.

"What am I going to do?"

"We're going to go and tell your parents. We're going to talk some more about your feelings. And then we are going to call up the rest of our friends and tell them. You can decide if you want to tell them about your feelings for Smackle or not. What we're _not_ going to do, is act like you have something to be ashamed of. You like girls? That's fine. It's _normal,"_ Maya told her best friend adamantly.

"You're not freaked out?"

"You're still the best friend that I've ever had and the only best friend that I've ever wanted. But now? Instead of talking about cute boys, you're going to tell me about hot girls and I'm going to fawn over Lucas," Maya smirked.

* * *

"Mom, dad….I need to tell you guys something," Riley sighed, sitting between her parents on the couch, hands folded in her lap and eyes locked on her hands.

Maya was sitting in a chair in the living room, watching her best friend do one of the hardest things that she would ever have to do in her life. She didn't pity her at all, which was why she was sitting right by her side, ensuring that everything was going to be okay. She was not going to abandon her best friend. Not right now, in the time of greatest need. Not when Riley was going through so much emotional turn oil of her own.

Of course, Maya was secretly grateful. A small, petty part of her had thought, when Riley was first making her confession, that the brunette was attracted to Maya herself. And that would have been the very last thing that Maya would have needed in her life. It would have been the final nail in the coffin for their friendship as well, because that type of rejection would have been far too much for Riley to take.

Hearing that Riley's feelings were for Smackle was all that Maya needed to be completely and totally comfortable with taking the next step for Riley's sake. Too many complications would have come with Riley having feelings for Maya.

"Is everything okay?" Topanga asked, a concern smile on her face as she wrapped an arm around Riley's skinny shoulders.

"You know you can tell us anything," Cory said, flashing his daughter a reassuring smile.

"This….this is actually really hard for me to say," Riley whispered. "I never…well, I never thought I'd have to do this, ever," she confessed.

"Riley, you're not pregnant, are you?" Topanga wondered.

"What? No, mom…I'm gay," Riley blurted out.

"What?" Topanga frowned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"This is the best day of my life!" Cory exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "No more horny, hormonal teenage boys? This is every father's dream come true!" He celebrated, throwing his hands in the air in excitement.

"Cory!" Topanga scolded, shooting him a warning look. "Riley just confessed something that was very hard for her to admit, and for her to realize. Sweetie," Topanga shot her daughter a warm smile. "When'd you realize this?"

"I guess…well, I guess a part of me has sort of known ever since I kissed Lucas on the subway, but I didn't realize what it all meant," Riley explained, finally daring to look up at her parents, showing her tear-filled eyes and watery smile.

She met Maya's blue eyed gaze and the blonde flashed her a reassuring grin, shooting her a quick wink to prompt her to keep going, let her know that she was proud of her for how well she was doing. Riley shot her a grateful smile, twirling her friendship ring around her finger with a small, pleased smile on her face.

"Wait-are you and Maya dating?" Cory wondered, dropping down besides Riley.

"I'm straight," Maya declared, raising a hand in the air and crossing one leg over the other, leaning back in her chair.

"Cory," Topanga scolded once again. "Let our daughter tell us her story, _without_ your foolish interruptions," she rolled her eyes.

"Anyways….I guess I kind of always felt like I was being forced into a relationship with Lucas. Like, it was what everybody else wanted me to do. People thought we were this golden couple-the next Cory and Topanga. So, I felt like I had to play that role, but…I never felt anything when I kissed him. It was like kissing a family member. Just…. _blah,"_ Riley explained, growing more and more animated as she told her story.

"And then Lucas broke up with me, and I was upset, because it sucked-having Maya picked over me. Finding out that it was all a lie. And, I guess….well, it sucked because I kind of started to believe the fantasy. But, another part of me was so grateful that one of us finally had the courage to end this charade-because it meant that I didn't have to pretend anymore. I didn't have to pretend that I was invested in that relationship and like I felt something that I didn't. I could focus on figuring out what my feelings actually were," Riley sighed, a bit of her former sparkle returning to her eyes.

"But?" Topanga wondered, raising an eyebrow at her daughter, knowing that there was more to this story.

"But, then Farkle told me he loved me and Maya went on this spiel with Lucas about how they thought that I loved Farkle back. And, I believed them, because it made sense. After all, I had always been freaked out about his relationship with Smackle. I figured that I must have been jealous about the fact that Smackle had Farkle, when he was the guy that I wanted. And I was so happy when they broke up and when he asked me out because I was convinced that he was the one. And then he kissed me and I still didn't feel anything," Riley went on, reaching up to run a hand through her hair.

"Why ya gotta keep kissing boys? I don't like it when you kiss boys," Cory whined.

"Well, she won't very well be kissing anymore boys, now, will she?" Topanga rolled her eyes at her husband's antics. "Now, Riley-not liking it when you kissed Farkle or Lucas doesn't mean that you're attracted to girls. What made you so certain that you're gay?"

"The fact that I'm into Smackle," Riley stated confidentially. "She's…she's just so _different_ from everybody else. She's confident and bold and almost as crazy as I am, but in a totally different way. She's brilliant and she's beautiful and….I hated seeing her with Farkle and I actually sort of hate seeing her with Zay, but he's Zay and I know it'll never be anything serious, so I can't be that bitter about it," Riley explained, her eyes lighting up in a way that Maya had never seen before as she described Smackle, but darkening worse than ever before at the mention of Smackle with somebody else.

"Now, sweetie, I understand what you're feeling. I know that this whole situation has got to be very hard for you. And I want you to know that your father and I are going to support you through this all. Everybody in your life is going to support you," Topanga said, wrapping her daughter in her loving embrace once again. "But, you need to realize that Smackle is not interested in girls, as far as we know. And you cannot pressure her into feeling any certain way, because that's not fair to her," Topanga explained gently.

"I know," Riley sighed.

"Riley," Cory said, taking his daughter's hands in his own. "We're your parents and we love you. We're always going to love you, no matter who you choose to love yourself," Cory assured her.

"You guys really don't care? I'm not a disappointment to you?" Riley asked.

"Of course we're not disappointed in you!" Cory exclaimed.

"We're _proud_ of you, Riley. You're being incredibly brave right now," Topanga told her daughter with a proud smile on her face to match her words.

"I told you, Riles," Maya smiled from her perch on the arm chair. "Everybody is going to stick by your side. We're all going to love you forever, no matter if you're gay, straight, bisexual, asexual-whatever. Who you love doesn't change the fact that we love you, Riles. You're the same girl that I've known my entire life."

"It doesn't matter what anybody else says, then," Riley said confidentially. "I have the best support system I could possibly ask for, right here."

"Well, you've gotta give it a chance to get a little bit bigger. Because I think that we have four other friends that need to hear this news, and I think that they're going to love you just as much as I do when they hear the news," Maya told Riley, flashing her a reassuring grin.

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Riley wondered. "Today's been a long day. I just want to rest with my best friend and have some dinner and go to bed," she admitted.

"We can do whatever you want, Riles," Maya smiled. "Today is your day."

"I'll run out and pick up some sushi from that Japanese restaurant you like, okay?" Topanga offered, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"And I'm going to call Shawn and tell him the good news!" Cory said excitedly, jumping to his feet. "No more boys! Oh, he's going to be so jealous!" he giggled, dancing his way towards his own bedroom.

"Eventually, your father is going to come back to normal and respond to this in a _normal_ way, where he shows that he supports you and loves you, _without_ being gleeful about the fact that you aren't interested in boys anymore," Topanga rolled her eyes as she rose to her feet. "But, today? It's not that day," She sighed as she grabbed her purse and jacket from the coat rack by the door and headed out to go and pick up some dinner for the family.

* * *

The next day, Topanga set up a large brunch for Riley and her friends, before disappearing from the house with Cory and Auggie, promising their daughter that they would explain the situation to her younger brother, to ensure that he fully understood everything that was going on.

Maya and Riley were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for the arrival of their other four friends. The girls had decided that Riley was going to come out to her friends in a clear way, actually vocalizing the confession. She would leave out her feelings for Smackle, merely saying that she was attracted to some girl in their class. And as for the rest of the school? They could just assume and think whatever they wanted. Riley owed them no explanation.

When their friends buzzed to be let in, Maya shot to her feet and raced towards the door, yanking it open to allow her friends to come inside, gesturing towards the table with the wide arrangement of foods.

The boys sat down, immediately filling up their plates and pouring tall glasses of orange juice, while Smackle poured herself a coffee and started to prepare it for herself.

"Alright," the glossy haired girl said sweetly, spinning her spoon around in her mug. "We know that something's up, so….what's going on with you guys?" she asked, shooting a concerned look between her other two female friends.

"Riley has something that she thinks you guys need to know," Maya shrugged, wrapping her hands around her mug of coffee.

"Is everything okay?" Lucas asked, shooting her that warm grin that was so hard to resist.

Riley wished that she could be attracted to it. She longed for that grin to fill her for desire. She would even be okay with hating Maya, allowing jealousy to eat away at her, if it meant that she could feel like she was _normal._ Being attracted to Lucas, beyond just appreciating his attractiveness, meant that she was a typical teenage girl and nobody would ever have any reason to ridicule her.

But, she just couldn't bring herself to find Lucas's smile the most charming thing in the world. Instead, it was Smackle's concerned smile that had Riley's heart skipping a beat. Lucas's bulging muscles did nothing for her, while Maya's exposed stomach created butterflies in her own stomach, despite the fact that Riley didn't have a romantic interest in the blonde.

"What happened last night?" Farkle frowned. "I thought we were having a good time…" he lowered his head, allowing the shame and disappointment mixing his emotions to show to the rest of their friends, making Riley feel even guiltier about the situation that was happening around her.

She wished that she was capable of being in love with a boy like Farkle. Somebody so kind and considerate. Somebody who felt so guilty about his potential part in what was upsetting her. It would be so easy for he to be with him, and nothing negative would come of it. She could force herself to be with Farkle-force herself to be happy with him, and it would be much easier than it had been when she did that with Lucas.

It would save Farkle from feeling awful about himself. Because she knew that Farkle was going to be negatively impacted by this in something that would torture him for the rest of his life. Because he had been the last guy to go out with Riley before she decided. Because Farkle had been the last boy that she had kissed before she had realized the truth about herself. And, in a way, it had been Farkle's kiss that had allowed her to take that final step in admitting what she had been trying so hard to deny.

"Farkle," Zay said suddenly, his serious tone shocking all of the other friends.

It was rare for Zay to be serious, but his expression matched his tone. His eyes were locked on Riley as he studied her, a knowing look to his dark eyes.

"You didn't do anything to upset her. And none of this is anybody's fault. Nothing's _wrong_ with Riley….she just-"

"Zay," Maya snapped, cutting him off with a harsh glare. "I don't know what you _think_ that you know, but this isn't _your_ secret to tell everyone. Riley is going to tell them in her own way, because it's _her_ secret," she said coldly, her voice hollow as she continued to glare right at the boy.

"I'm just trying to help her!" Zay protested.

"Can you all just _stop?"_ Riley shrieked, staring at her friends in shock. "Listen, this is hard enough without everybody adding to it. I don't need anybody to tell people for me and I don't need you to coddle me. The truth is that I'm gay, okay? Happy?" Riley burst out, tears beginning to fill up her chocolate brown eyes.

"What?" Farkle gasped.

"What are you talking about? We dated for almost a year, Riley," Lucas frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I know…and, well, Lucas, you said it yourself. You felt like you had a part to play. I felt that same way. Like I was _supposed_ to be with you," Riley sighed. "And then you and Maya had me all convinced I loved Farkle, but….I felt the same way when I was out with him. And then I realized….I'm attracted to girls," Riley whispered.

"Is there a girl you're into?" Smackle asked sweetly.

"There's a girl at school, yeah…but she's straight, so it doesn't matter," Riley shrugged.

"You're really sure about this, Riley?" Farkle asked.

"I'm sorry, Farkle," Riley sighed. "I know that this must be awful for you-and for Lucas," she sighed, lowering her head.

"For us?' Lucas asked in confusion.

"Why would it be hard on us? You're the one that's coming out, Riley," Farkle pointed out.

"But…I dated Lucas. And I just went out with you last night, Farkle," Riley reminded them both.

"Riley, you can't turn somebody gay," Farkle snickered.

"And anybody that thinks that Farkle or I had anything to do with you coming out clearly isn't worth a second thought. Because that's not how it works. You're just not into guys, and that's fine," Lucas shrugged.

"Riles, you never have to worry about what we're going to think of you," Zay rolled his eyes. "You're our best friend, and as long as you're still Smiley Riley, the pretty brunette who will do anything for her best friends, you're still the girl that we know and love," Zah shrugged his shoulders.

"And if anybody has anything to say about you or your sexuality, they have to deal with all of us," Smackle smirked.

"I'm pretty lucky," Riley sighed. "I have the best friends in the world."

* * *

"So," Lucas smirked after he dropped Smackle off at her house later that night.

He had brought Zay home, and then Farkle, so now it was just him and Maya in the truck, heading towards Lucas's place for a Sunday family dinner with his mother who had just gotten back from Texas an hour ago, before immediately starting to cook up some dumplings for Maya and Lucas to have for dinner, despite Maya's protesting that she didn't have to cook as soon as she got off of the plane.

"So?" Maya wondered, turning down the radio and shooting her boyfriend a sly smile.

"So, Riley's a lesbian and she no longer has any reason to care about the fact that I'm in love with you, because her part in our relationship was just as fake as my part in it," he summarized, slowly drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

"This is true," Maya nodded.

"So….does that mean we don't have to wait for Riley's approval for our, uh…"he trailed off, a nervous edge taking off his posture and expression.

"To have sex?" Maya asked bluntly.

"Well, uh…yeah," he sighed.

"Yeah, we don't have to wait anymore. In fact…. we can have it anytime you want," She said coyly, placing a hand on his knee.

"Maya, I'm driving," Lucas sighed, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"I'm not doing anything," She smirked, slowly dragging her hand up his knee and gripping at the top of thigh.

"Maya," He groaned.

"Just testing the waters," She smirked, retracting her hand and sitting perkily in her seat with a bright smile.

"I'm still gonna make it special, you know," He told her, shooting her a look.

"Of course you are," She rolled her eyes. "You're a Huckleberry and I wouldn't have it any other way," She grinned, shooting him the goofiest smile that she could muster.

* * *

Farkle was proud of Riley for coming out. He knew that that had to have been hard for her, so he was proud that she was being brave. He was impressed that she was confident enough in herself to admit to something that many teenagers tried to hide. And he was proud of her for the way that she was choosing to handle this whole thing, rather than trying to hide everything so that only her closest friends knew her secret.

But, a part of him was also slightly hurt. His ego, that is.

Because, he _had_ been the last guy that Riley had kissed before she came out and acted on her feelings. He had been her last date, her last boyfriend, in a sense. And while he was proud that he had even had the tiniest chance to be with the girl he had always loved-would always love-his ego was slightly bruised by the fact that this girl had decided, immediately following their kiss, that the conflicting emotions she was dealing with meant that she was a lesbian.

And he fully understood that he had not turned Riley gay. He knew that it wasn't a switch and he knew that that wasn't how it worked. But, he could already hear the comments that would be made once it got around the school.

The fact that a kiss from Farkle was how Riley realized the truth behind her sexuality. When she was with Lucas, she had been blinded from the truth and convinced that she was in love with the Texan boy. But, with Farkle? She couldn't even pretend like she was into it. She immediately came out, because it was impossible to hide the truth with Farkle.

He knew, of course, that he couldn't go and tell any of his friends this, of course. They would roll their eyes at him and tell him that he was being selfish. And if they didn't, they _should_ do that, because he was being selfish.

His ego and his reputation were not an issue at the moment. Riley and her feelings were the problem at hand and that should be what the gang was worried about.

But, there was Farkle, whining about the fact that he had been the last guy before Riley had finally realized what her body had always been trying to tell her. Farkle's kiss had been the final shove that Riley had needed to come to terms with her sexuality.

He knew it was wrong and he knew that it wasn't fair. But, he really couldn't help it. And it was just going to get worse, the longer he had to internalize the feelings.

 _Our whole universe was in a hot dense state. Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait! The earth began to cool, the autotrophs began to drool._

Farkle heard his phone going off, with Smackle's personalized ringtone blaring. He grabbed his phone from where it was charging and did something that was very un-Farkle. He answered his phone while he was working on his science homework.

"Smackle? What's up?"

"I just want you to know that you're not a bad kisser."

"What?"

He was laughing, because it was so blunt and straight forward. It was random, and it was so strange to hear coming from Smackle. Of course, it was exactly what Farkle had needed to hear, but he hadn't been expecting it from Smackle.

"You're an amazing kisser, Farkle, and that's not why Riley didn't feel anything when she kissed you. She didn't feel anything because she's not romantically attracted to you, and you can't do anything about that," she explained.

"Smackle…. How do you always manage to tell me exactly what I need to hear?" Farkle asked, unable to contain the smile that had started to fill his face as soon as he had heard her voice on the other end of the line.

"Because I know you, Farkle. I know you and I love you," Smackle answered, as honest as she always was. "We're not so different from one another, Farkle, and it's not that hard for me to understand you. And besides that…. Well, when you love somebody, you start to notice all these little things about them that other people may not notice," she explained.

"I'm sorry I led you on, Smackle," Farkle sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"It's not a big deal. I always knew that you loved her. I just hoped that… well, I hoped that eventually you might fall out of love with her and fall in love with me," she said, her voice soft and Farkle could picture her sheepishly shrugging her shoulders, lowering her gaze towards the floor, despite the fact that she was on her own.

"What about Zay? What's going on there?" Farkle wondered.

"He's cute and he's sweet. And he likes me enough," Smackle responded. "But, he doesn't love me and I don't love him. And…. Well, Zay's not that different from you and Lucas. He's in love with Riley and Maya, too. Only, he's a little more in love with Maya," Smackle explained.

"Zay wouldn't even do that to Lucas," Farkle frowned. "And Zay does love you," he assured her.

"No," Smackle sighed. "He thinks that he does, because he thinks that would make our group work out perfectly. We all think we're supposed to act a certain way. But, Riley's confession today? It's going to cause quite a bit of trouble in our group, because Zay's going to realize the truth soon enough," she explained patiently.

"He'll never act on it. But… well, Maya's the girl that Zay always wanted back in Texas. The cheerleader with the witty sense of humor. The girl who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. The girl who was the most beautiful girl in the world," Smackle responded without an ounce of pettiness or jealousy in her tone.

It amazed Farkle of how, no matter what happened, she was never bitter towards Maya or Riley. She never blamed them for anything and she was never hurt when she was overlooked because of her best friends.

"You're beautiful, Isadora," Farkle told her honestly. "And you're just as amazing as Maya and Riley. You're just a little…. Intimidating, to most guys," Farkle chuckled.

" _I'm_ intimidating?"

"You're brilliant and you know it, Smackle. Guys are freaked out by a girl who knows everything. But, never try to hide that. Someday, a guy is going to realize how incredible you are," he assured her.

Because, it was the truth. She was something special, and the right guy was going to see that and appreciate her for it. He wished that he could be that guy, because it would be so easy, but she was right about them. They all thought they were supposed to act a certain way and they took on that role. But, that wasn't what was going to make them happy and they each had to figure out what would allow them to be the happiest.


	31. Daddy Issues

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 31: Daddy Issues**

 _ **A/N: And introducing: Lucas's father! And some LUAYA fluff. And then a conversation about the moment that most of you are waiting for.**_

* * *

"Huckleberry, hurry up!" Maya whined. "I want some of Momma Friar's delicious dumplings!"

Before Lucas was even able to turn off his truck's engine, Maya was tearing off her seat belt and pushing open the car door, hopping to the ground. The car had barely been put into park by the time that Maya was making her way out of the vehicle, ready to race towards Lucas's apartment.

Lucas laughed at his girlfriend's excitement, twisting the key in the ignition to turn off the engine and unbuckling his own seatbelt. He opened his car door and climbed out, stuffing his car keys into his back pocket as he followed after his girlfriend, approaching the elevator leading from the parking garage up into the lobby of the building.

As he chased after the tiny blonde who was skipping and dancing her way towards the elevator in a state of impatience that Lucas couldn't imagine possible from her, he couldn't help but marvel at how amazing his life happened to be.

He had the girl of his dreams. He had a starting position on the football team and he had more than decent grades. He had a loving, doting mother. His girlfriend's family loved him. He had the best friends that anybody could ever wish for. All in all, his life was going absolutely perfectly and he couldn't believe how blessed he was to have so much happiness.

There was no way that he deserved any of what he had. He knew how lucky he was. He wasn't naïve to the fact that most people wished for even some of what he had. He was grateful for it and he marveled at it, sure that it was some sort of a mistake.

"Ranger Rick," Maya shrieked as she pressed the call button for the elevator. "Do you think your momma made some dessert?" she wondered, hopping onto her boyfriend's back.

"You're in a good mood today," Lucas observed, ignoring her question. "Why are you in such a good mood? What happened that I apparently missed that put you in such a good mood?" He wondered.

"Riley's happy. Zay is happy. Farkle is happy. Izzy is happy. Everybody's happy and the world is right again," Maya said peacefully, dropping from Lucas's back as he brought them onto the elevator. "Isn't life _swell_ when everybody's happy? Seriously, Ranger Rick-life is absolutely perfect right now and I don't think that anything could ruin that," she sighed in content as she leaned back against the back wall of the elevator, a peaceful smile on her face.

Lucas grinned, content with knowing that his girlfriend felt the same way about their current situation. After all, when everybody in their life was perfectly happy, how could something cause that happiness to end?

He should have known that shit was about to hit the fan, by the fact that he and Maya were so confident that they could continue to live in their ignorant state of bliss. After all, how long could things be peaceful and happy for them? Not in the lives that they led, where there was always some sort of drama around every curve.

The elevator doors opened and Maya took off running, racing towards the elevator that would lead them up to Lucas's floor. Lucas chased after her, shooting apologetic looks to all of the fellow residents as they tried their best to dodge the girl, shooting her disdained looks with every crash Maya encountered. Not that Lucas could blame the business oriented residents of his apartment complex. They definitely weren't use to a blonde bombshell racing around and causing a mess of things.

Still, he couldn't help but find the entire situation absolutely humorous, because it featured Maya Hart, the funniest girl that he had ever met. The girl who he loved, mostly because of the fact that they were able to bicker with one another like an old married couple. He loved their relationship, despite what he had said at the ski lodge, when he had told her the exact opposite, crushing her spirits.

He had only said it because he was so terrified of what would have happened if she had actually gotten hurt. He would have said anything that would have decreased the odds of Maya ever doing anything so dangerously foolish again.

"Dumplings!" Maya shrieked as she slammed the button to get to the fourth floor of the building, where Lucas's apartment was located. "Hurry up, Sundance," she insisted, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.

"Why are you always so excited for my momma's cooking?" Lucas wondered, furrowing his eyebrows together.

"Because it's been so long since I've had it," Maya whined.

"You came over for dinner Wednesday night," Lucas frowned.

"And its _Sunday,"_ Maya answered with wide eyes.

"You're so adorable," Lucas chuckled, shaking his head as he watched the girl impatiently tapping her foot as she waited for the elevator to make its way up the few stories.

Before Maya was able to respond to Lucas's compliment-because Maya always had something to say whenever Lucas gave her a compliment like that-the elevator dinged and the doors opened to Lucas's floor. Maya was off and running, sprinting towards Lucas's apartment door at the end of the hallway, taunting Lucas to try to catch her as he insisted that she slow down and be careful, fearing what would happen if she bumped into any of his neighbors, most of whom were elderly, slightly uptight, residents.

He shook his head, giving into her antics before he took off running after her. He caught her just as they reached the door, Maya's hand tapping against it as Lucas wrapped his arms around her from behind, swooping her off of her feet and raising her in the air, arms wrapped tightly around her torso.

"Ranger Rick!" Maya squealed. "Let me _go!"_

"And why, might I ask, would I do a silly thing like that, ma'am?" He wondered, playing up his Southern accent. "After all, what's in it for-"

He was interrupted from their game by his apartment door swinging open and a tall man, almost identical to Lucas, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, a stern look on his face as he studied the scene before him.

"Of course you were the source of all of that commotion, Lucas."

Lucas looked up, eyes widening at the sight of the man standing there. He set Maya on the ground and immediately straightened up, adjusting the blue, green and white plaid button down shirt he was wearing over a simple, light green tee shirt with his faded denim jeans and blue Converse sneakers. He mentally scolded himself for not looking a bit more professional, even though he had no way of knowing that this person would be present.

"I'm sorry, sir," he lowered his head, a respectful tone that Maya rarely ever heard taking over his voice.

"Who's your friend?"

"This is Maya Hart, my girlfriend," Lucas said, wrapping an arm around Maya's waist and pulling her in tight to him.

His voice was strange. It was tense and strained. It was cold. Colder than Maya could ever remember hearing Lucas sound before, except for on a few occasions when he spoken to Josh, on the rarities when he hadn't been able to contain his emotions and keep his true feelings hidden. It was even colder than he had sounded when it had come to Riley talking to that boy at the ski lodge back in their freshman year.

"Maya… this is my father."

* * *

Usually, dinner at the Friar's was an event. Maya sat across from Lucas, picking on him for his accent and the mere fact that he was from Texas. Rose Friar sat at the head of the table, giggling at Maya's antics and stating how the pair were such an adorable couple-whether they were actually dating at the time or not. On occasion, she would try to force more food upon the teenagers. And Lucas would laugh right along with Maya's antics, playing things up and then acting offended that his own mother was on the blonde's side.

The current dinner at the Friar's, however, was nothing like that.

Lucas's father, James, was sitting at the head of the table with Rose sitting across from Maya and Lucas. Nobody spoke, unless the conversation was started by James, unless it Rose offering up more food or wondering if anybody needed anything else.

Maya had barely been spoken to at all. She had barely uttered a word the entire meal, because James Friar seemed far more content on scolding Lucas and lecturing him than he was in getting to know his son's girlfriend. In fact, as far as Maya knew, she was the first of Lucas's friends in New York-with the exception of Zay-to be meeting his father, yet James Friar didn't seem to care about getting to know his son's friends.

Instead, he seemed to just want to remind Lucas about everything that he was doing wrong, and Lucas was allowing it to happen, speaking to his father with a tense tone and respectful words.

In fact, the last time that Maya could remember hearing Lucas sound like that had been when she and Riley had overheard Lucas talking to his dad on his cell phone back in the seventh grade. That distressed sounding voice, calling the other person 'sir" and making sure to use the manners that had been drilled into the Texan youth.

He wasn't speaking to his father the way that a child talked to a parent. He was talking to his father the way that a member of the army would talk to a superior. He was talking to his father the way that Riley spoke to authority figures. The way that Farkle and Smackle spoke to teachers. The way that Zay spoke to most adults and the way that Maya had always been taught to speak to anybody who could dole out punishments.

She wasn't crazy about seeing her boyfriend like that. Lucas was always confident and in control of every situation. He was cool and collected, calm at all times. He wasn't afraid of anything, yet right now? He wasn't acting like the Lucas Friar that Maya had fallen in love with all those years ago. He was acting like a scared little boy who only cared about one thing-making his father proud, in order to keep his father from being disappointed in him.

Yet, she knew that it had to be harder on Lucas to deal with his father's presence when Maya was there to see it happen. She knew from her own experiences that Lucas probably felt ashamed of his home life and his father. He didn't want Maya to see this side of him and he didn't want her to know anything about the relationsip that he had with his father.

Now, though?

It was far too late.

Maya was there and she was seeing it all happen right in front of her face.

And all she wanted to do was jump to her feet and lose it on this man. Scold him for making Lucas feel so awful about himself. She wanted to point out every single great aspect of Lucas Friar.

But, she knew that doing that was going to upset Lucas. He would just be even more ashamed of the situation at hand. And, on top of that? Everything would be worse for him if Maya tried to defend him.

"You know, Lucas, you and your friend could have come to dinner looking a little more appropriate," James said, narrowing his eyes as he took in Lucas's appearance.

"It's a Sunday, sir. We're all a little more casual on our days off," Lucas said, a nervous chuckle accompanying the words as he reached for his water.

Maya could tell by the way his knuckles turned white, clenching the glass, that he was annoyed by the comment. And she knew that he was more annoyed that Lucas's father had insulted Maya in his comment, rather than just taking another dig at Lucas.

She glanced down at her outfit-a pair of black capri leggings with a hot pink BLONDIE tee-shirt with a low v-neck underneath a denim shirt-one she had stolen from Lucas years ago-and a pair of high top black Converse sneakers. It definitely wasn't the fanciest outfit that she could have worn, but she could have looked far more casual.

"I think that Maya looks adorable," Rose spoke up, shooting Maya a comforting smile.

"Maya," James said, speaking directly to her for the first time all evening.

Her name sounded funny coming from his lips and he said it as though he was unsure of it. It sounded more like he was testing it out than actually trying to get her attention.

"Yes, sir?" Maya asked, forcing herself to keep on a respectful tone, knowing that Lucas would be the one to pay the price for anything that she did that could be considered as disrespectful.

"What is it that your parents do?"

"My mother runs a bakery in Greenwich Village," Maya explained. "She's the manager. And my step-father is a photographer for the New York Times," she finished.

"What about your _father?"_

His emphasis on the word "father" bothered her and she had to fight the urge to show just how much it bothered her.

"I don't see very much of him. Shawn, my _step-father_ is the only father figure I've ever had a chance of knowing," Maya responded, staring down at her plate to hide the glare that she was unable to fight.

"And how are your grades?"

"Maya's a straight A-student," Lucas bragged. "She's taking all honors and AP classes," he said proudly, staring at his girlfriend as though she were the best thing to ever happen to him-because, that was exactly how he thought of her.

"Really? And yet, _your_ grades seem to be slipping," James said coolly, giving Lucas a scolding, disappointed look.

"Lucas is an Honors student. He has B's in all of his classes. He's very smart," Maya said, gulping before the words came out so that she was able to control her tone and filter her word choices just a little bit better. "His worst class is chemistry, but we've been working on that class together all year, so that he's more than excelling in that class now. We got him up to an A-minus," Maya beamed at her boyfriend.

"And how's football going?" James asked, ignoring what Maya had said.

"Still a starter," Lucas said, relief flooding his face on the topic.

"That's my boy," James said, appearing proud of his son for the first time all evening. "No other extra curricular activities to get in the way, right?"

"No, sir," Lucas shook his head.

Maya realized, then, why Lucas had quit the debate club. She realized why he had never run for student council again after the seventh grade. She realized why he stopped being in the plays and why he seemed to only be concerned with football, basketball and baseball.

"Good boy-keep your eyes on the goal. A football scholarship to Baylor," James nodded, returning to his meal.

The meal which _wasn't_ the dumplings that Maya had been promised. While it was still delicious, it was not what Maya had been so excited for. All because of Lucas's father's demands to have steak, cooked so rare that a well trained veterinarian could bring it back to life, baked sweet potatoes coated in brown sugar and maple syrup, and grilled asparagus. It was incredible, as all of Rose's cooking was-but it was not what Maya had been excited about all day long, which only added to her bitterness about James's presence there.

"Baylor?" Maya wondered, turning to Lucas with confusion written all over her face. "That's in Texas, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," James responded. "Lucas will be going there to study business."

" _Business?_ I thought that you wanted to be a veterinarian," Maya frowned.

"I mentioned that to Riley once," Lucas shook his head. "I never really took that all too seriously," he insisted.

"But _business?_ You never mentioned that," Maya's eyebrows furrowed together as she stared at Lucas in shock. "And…. Texas?"

"Is that some sort of problem? For Lucas to go to college in Texas?" James wondered.

"I just…I never thought you were going to move back there," Maya lowered her head, staring at her plate.

"Funny that you brought that up," James smiled. "Lucas… it's been three years since your incident. I talked to the school board, and they're more than willing to allow you to come back to school there for the rest of high school. There's a place on the football team for you and everything. It would increase your chances of getting recruited."

"Mom," Lucas turned his attention towards his mother. "You want to move back to Texas? You just got settled into New York," Lucas frowned.

Rose Friar could easily work anywhere. She owned a restaurant that was currently thriving to the point where she didn't even really need to be present there. The one she had opened in Texas was still thriving as well, run by the manager she had left in charge. She visited there as frequently as possible to check in, but the New York chain had become her baby.

She had a series of cookbooks out as well, full of her recipes and cooking tips. It wouldn't take much effort for her to move back to Texas and start running the chain there again, or to even open up a third restaurant.

But, it was a process and it would take far more effort than necessary. Especially when things were going to good for everybody in New York.

"You'd be living with me," James stated.

"You mean that mom would still be in New York, but the rest of us would be in Texas? I'm sorry, sir, but she moved out here for me, because I wanted a fresh start. I can't just leave her here without any family around," Lucas shook his head.

"It wasn't an offer, Lucas," James sighed.

"That's why you came back with her, wasn't it?" Lucas frowned. "That's why she had to go out to Texas. You had this whole scheme figured out. I live with _mom,_ sir. And I'm not going back to Texas," he shook his head.

"Lucas, I'm doing this for _you._ It's what's best for your future," James replied.

"You can't take me halfway across the country from my _mother!"_

"We have joint custody and I allowed her to do the same with you. I think it's only fair that your mother get a break from raising you."

"You don't get to take a break from parenting. You don't get to take turns on who raises me at each point in my life. And I'm not a _child_ anymore. Any court is going to give _me_ the power to control where I go," Lucas snapped.

He pushed his chair back and rose to his feet, voice raising as he spoke to his father. He was losing control and he was no longer being the respectfully obedient son. He wasn't going back to Texas, no matter what he had to do to enforce that fact. He was not going to allow his father to take him away from the life that he had.

"If you send him back to Texas, he's going to ruin his future," Maya stated, eyes locked firmly on James Friar.

"What?" James's eyes locked on Maya, narrowed into a harsh glare.

His eyes were the same hunter green as Lucas's eyes were, but while Lucas's eyes always seemed warm and comforting, James's eyes were cold and cruel. They lacked the love and compassionate that Lucas's eyes had and replaced that with hatred and disdain.

"Lucas is a better person here than he was in Texas," Maya said confidentially.

"And how would you have any knowledge on that subject?"  
"Has he gotten expelled for putting anybody in the hospital lately?"

"He's learned how to control his anger better," James shook the idea off.

"Maya controls my anger," Lucas growled. "There have been plenty of times where I almost lost it. Plenty of times where I could have gotten expelled for doing the same thing that I did back in Texas. But Maya was there and she calmed me down. If you send me back to Texas and you take me away from her, I'm going to get expelled. _Again,"_ Lucas said sternly.

"You want to stay in New York."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"I'm staying," Lucas declared.

"What sort of an effect do you have on my son?" James wondered, staring at Maya in amazement and shock.

"What?" Maya gasped, shocked by the sudden turn in the conversation.

"My son has never once stood up to me. He has never once tried to defend himself or make a case for what he wants. And then he meets you, and he adamantly defends staying here. Why?" James asked, studying Maya.

"I love her, sir," Lucas stated, dropping back down into his seat and taking Maya's hand in his own. "And I'd do anything to keep her."

"Well," James said, staring at the couple. "I supposed I better start to get to know the girl that's made my son a man. And I think that it's about time I really get to know my son," He said, flashing Lucas a warm grin.

The first fatherly grin that Lucas could remember receiving from his father in a long time.

* * *

Lucas's father _loved_ Maya. Not that Lucas could blame him, of course, because who _didn't_ love Maya Hart?

It did, however, surprise him a little bit that Maya had gotten his father to laugh at her antics, especially at the fact that she teased Lucas about his southern roots, while James Friar was a Texan implant, born and raise. Maya had convinced James to change his mind about tearing Lucas away from the new life that he had made for himself.

"Lucas," Maya sighed, leaning against her boyfriend's shoulders after his father had left, heading to catch his red eye back to Texas. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Tell you what? That my dad's a monster who was never going to be proud of me because all he cared about was me going to college at his alma mater and playing Texas and taking over the family business, the same way that he did? Why? Why would I tell you that? Just so that you could pity me and feel bad for me?" Lucas frowned, rolling his eyes as the bitter, harsh words about his father came out.

Maya sighed, rolling her own eyes at Lucas's words. She knew, better than anybody, what it was like to have an awful father. A father who just didn't care about his child. One who would never be proud, no matter how hard they worked.

"At least he checks in, right? At least he didn't just abandon me. God, Maya, how could I complain about my father to you? I couldn't describe him to do him any justice and it would look like I was complaining when I didn't need to complain. Especially in comparison to your shitty father," Lucas replied, his entire body tensing up.

Maya was appalled that he thought that. How could he think that Maya would ever try to tell him that his situation wasn't worth complaining about. She had never thought that she was the type of person who made others feel like they had no right to think that they were suffering, just because others might have it worse. That wasn't the way that she wanted to be remembered and it wasn't the way that she thought she acted.

After all, she knew that her situation could have been worse, from the beginning. Even back when it was just her and her mother, she knew that things could have been worse.

She had a comfortable place to live and she had water and electricity and food to eat. She never worried that she'd open the fridge to find it empty and she never feared that she'd get home to find a dark apartment. She had a mother who cared about her, even though she was highly embarrassing and slightly on the absent side. At least her mother was doing all that she could to keep Maya alive and well.

Maybe money was tight, but that didn't mean that Maya's home life was horrible. She knew that she was better off than other kids her age in similar situations.

But, it didn't stop her from feeling lost and confused. It didn't stop her from feeling ashamed of her home life, because she knew that there were others that had it better. She had to watch her best friend have everything that Maya could never have for herself, and that created a slight fit of jealousy. A little bit of pain as she suffered through watching her best friend enjoy the life that Maya had always longed to have for herself. And she tried not to be bitter towards Riley. She tried not to blame her best friend. But, she couldn't help it.

So, Lucas should know that Maya, of all people, was the best person for him to talk to about a sucky father. Regardless of the fact that Lucas's father was still a part of his life, Maya would never be bitter about that. Not when she heard about how awful Lucas's father treated him.

In fact, Maya was surprised that Lucas didn't think of Maya as being the lucky one, since her father didn't have any expectations for her. He didn't try to force her to live the same life that he had led.

But, Maya knew that Lucas had been through enough that night and she wasn't going to force him to go through anything else. She refused to put him through anymore stress, because he had powered through speaking to his father. He had been able to stand up to his father and he had finally gotten his father to act like he was proud of his son.

So, Maya wasn't going to do anything that could upset him once again.

"Is that what you want to know? Why I didn't tell you any of that?" Lucas wondered.

"No," Maya rolled her eyes, lifting her head up from his shoulder and shooting him a confused look. "I wanted to know why you never told me that your middle name was Richard, Ranger Rick," she smirked. "Or that your favorite book was _Huckleberry Finn,_ Huckleberry," she grinned.

And Lucas laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her down onto his lap, immediately starting to tickle her sides, grateful for what she had chosen to say, instead of everything else that he knew she wanted to say. He was one lucky son of a bitch, all right. Because he had Maya Hart.

* * *

"So," Lucas wrapped Maya in his arms as they settled into her bed that night, ready to get a well deserved, long night's sleep before they started up another week of school. "How long do you think is the appropriate amount of time before we….well, you know," he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You know," Maya yawned, lifting her head up from his chest and shooting him a teasing grin. "If you can't say the word _sex,_ maybe you shouldn't be _having_ it," She whispered confidentially, as though it were the world's most well kept secret.

"Shut up," he snickered, tightening his grip on her as he pulled her just a little bit closer, pressing a soft and gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Don't tell me what to do," Maya gasped. "I resent being told what to do," she pouted, resting her head back down on his well defined chest, one arm draped over his torso and the other one curled up between the pair.

"I'm just trying to figure out….well, I wanna get us a hotel room, when we do it," he explained, his voice a low and deep whisper that Maya couldn't resist.

"Ew," she groaned, making a face. "That's so cliché and dirty. It's like we're only going there to hook up," she shook her head.

"Well, isn't that sort of the point?"

"Going to a hotel just to have sex isn't special, Lucas," Maya replied.

"Well, I don't want to have to worry about our parents catching us!"

"Then don't."

"How do we make that work?"

"Shawn's gotta go out of town for a story this weekend. My mom's going with him so they can celebrate their anniversary, even though it's a little early. I'm supposed to stay with Riley, but I could make a case to stay with you and Momma Friar and we could just sneak back over here and have the apartment to ourselves," she smirked, shooting him a wicked look.

"Maya Hart, you are going to get me into a _lot_ of trouble," he sighed.

"Is that a no?"

"That's a hell yes."

"So, you better be careful with how much you drink Friday at the after party," Maya scolded him.

"Maya," Lucas sighed. "If we're doing this, we're doing it right. I'm taking you out to dinner and we're going on an epic date and then we're coming back here and there's gonna be rose petals and candles," he informed her with a wicked grin on his face.

"You're making it all corny," Maya whined.

"I'm a Huckleberry, remember?" He smirked, tipping his imaginary cowboy hat at her.

"And a Hop-a-long and a Sundance, too," she finished off sleepily, planting a small kiss on his lips before settling back into her former position.

She wiggled around for a few seconds and released an adorable, tiny little yawn. Snuggling up so that she was as close to Lucas as possible, she quickly drifted off into a deep sleep, all with Lucas watching her as though she were the cutest thing that he had ever seen in his entire life.


	32. Homecoming Begins

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 32: Homecoming Begins**

 _ **A/N: I love this chapter. I'm so proud of it, even though it took me a little longer than they usually do. I didn't know what I was planning when I started, but after I got about halfway through Riley's first blurb, I knew exactly what I had planned out and it all came together so perfectly. So, I hope that you guys like this chapter as much as I do.**_

Riley Matthews didn't want to be noticed that Monday at school. For once in her life, she didn't want to be the center of attention and have all eyes on her. Which was why, for the first time, she wasn't dressing in shockingly bold colors with busy, mismatches patterns. Instead, she had gotten dressed a black, fluffy turtle neck sweater that hung low, and a short, black, spandex short. She added a pair of black Converse sneakers and a red, white and black plaid, oversized, long shirt was tied up around her waist.

Her hair hung loose and straight around her face and her makeup lacked the usual sparkle that the majority of her colors had. Because, on that particular Monday, Riley just didn't care. Because, she had had enough attention on her and she didn't want anymore. That was why she refused to publicly come out to anybody at school, other than the five friends that already knew the truth about her sexuality.

Besides, Maya had never had to come out as straight. Lucas, Zay and Farkle had never once confessed to liking girls, the way that Riley had had to do. It was never a big deal for Smackle to feel way the way that did for boys. So, why did things have to be different for Maya? Why did she have to make it a big spectacle? It just made it harder for those young individuals who had realized that they were just the tiniest bit different from the rest of her peers and Riley didn't like that.

So, se had dressed in a dark-yet adorable-outfit. Because, on that one day, she didn't want anybody to look at her and stare too long about her colorful outfit that never failed to grab attention. Because, if somebody's eyes lingered on her just a little too long, that old, insecure side of her was going to come out and she would believe that they were talking about her. She would crumble and all of the confidence she had worked so hard to build up would fade away, because she would be convinced that people knew the truth and that they were judging her for it.

She knew that if Maya heard her logic, she would roll her eyes and tell Riley that she was being ridiculous. But, this was what Riley felt like she had to do. She felt like she needed something to hold onto, and that was going to be being as invisible as she could possibly be, despite her status so close to the top of the food chain.

Riley didn't ask for help. She didn't throw herself pity parties. She didn't cause fits of public blowouts or losing her control in public. Instead, she chose to break down in private, with only Maya around to see her. Maya was the only person who ever saw her sit around crying and screaming. That was what best friends were for, after all.

Since she had to brave the rest of the world and enter the hallways of Abigail Adams High School-because there was no way her parents would allow her to skip school-she was going to have to put on her best mask. Normally, Maya would have already talked her down off of the ledge. Riley would be back to her usual, cheery self.

But, this time?

This time, Riley had to pull a Maya Hart and she had to plaster on a mask. A mask that made it look like everything was okay. But, she was not as strong as Maya was-the blonde had spent a long portion of her life fighting to make sure that Riley had never had to grow as strong as the blonde was herself-and she knew that she couldn't keep the mask up perfectly all day long. She would need a break, and that break would come from the lack of stares and sneers over the colorful outfit that Riley had put on that morning.

She wasn't doing it because she was ashamed of who she was. She was doing it because she was not going to allow anybody to see her break. Because, seeing Riley break down in public would mean that they thought there was some sort of problem. She would not allow them to make her sexuality out to be a scandal. Because it should not be a big deal that Riley liked girls. It just shouldn't be an issue, at all.

"Riles?"

Riley turned away from her mirror, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she heard the voice coming from her Bay Window. A voice that was the most obvious thing in the world to Riley, because she had heard it so many times in her life. It was the voice of her very best friend, and Riley would know it absolutely anywhere.

"Peaches?"

The smile that spread across Riley's face was nearly wide enough to threaten to rip her entire face in half. After all, she looked happier than she had in so long, because her best friend had shown up when she needed her most. When she needed somebody to lean on, to make it through the day, Maya had shown up to be the absolute best friend in the world. Because that was who Maya Hart was-the best friend that anybody could ever have in their entire life. Josh had known it long ago, but Riley had known it longer.

Everybody knew that about Maya. She was the best friend in the world, but only when it came to certain people. She would save Farkle's life whenever he got himself into some mess because of his need to always be trying to one-up anybody else in the science community. She would defend Riley until she was blue in the face and make any sacrifice necessary to make Riley as happy as possible. She would calm Lucas down and protect him from himself. She would allow Smackle the room to grow comfortable with the social dynamic of their group and glare at anybody who judged her for her awkwardness. And she would make sure that Zay's heart was never broken and that he never faced rejection.

That was the type of person that Maya was, and Riley knew that she was beyond lucky to have her.

"I figured you may need a little extra support today," Maya explained, flashing her a broad smile as she slipped in through the window and into the room, tossing her hands in the air to show off her outfit that day.

Dressed in a pair of faded denim, ultra distressed shorts that hugged her curves and a red, cropped, high neck shirt underneath a sheer, black, long sweater, she looked like the classic, Maya Hart sex goddess. The red sneaker wedges she was wearing added to her height and broadcasted her legs.

But, she was Riley's sister and there wasn't an ounce of attraction between the two girls. Riley could admire Maya's appearance. She could appreciate and respect that her best friend was beautiful. But, that was it. She lacked any sort of sexual desire for the blonde and the attraction just didn't exist between them. There was nothing deeper there.

They were sisters and they were best friends. On top of that, Maya was dating Riley's ex-boyfriend. The boy who had been Riley's first for so many things. Riley was a lesbian and Maya was straight. Their friendship could survive anything, but there was no reason to complicate things anymore than they already were. Things were messy enough as it was.

"Lucas waiting in the truck?" Riley wondered, gathering up her back pack.

"No," Maya smirked, leaning over the window ledge and pulling her own backpack into Riley's room as she swung it over her shoulder. "I figured we could take the subway. Stop and get some breakfast on the way? Grab a couple of coffees or something? Just you and me, just like old times," she suggested.

"Have I ever mentioned that you're the best friend anybody in the world could ever have and I'm so beyond lucky to have you?" Riley beamed, racing towards her best friend to barrel her in a hug.

"I think you may have mentioned it once or twice, but feel free to tell me more, please," Maya grinned wickedly, never one to fake any sort of modesty.

"Don't get cocky," Riley scolded, bumping her hip against Maya's own.

"I can't help it," Maya shrugged. "I'm just so _perfect,"_ she sighed as though it were a hassle for her.

"Let's head off to school," Riley shook her head, hooking her arm through Maya's. "Before you ruin my perfect attendance."

"You and that stupid record," Maya rolled her eyes. "But, whatever-today's all about you, so let's head out of here," she sighed, allowing Riley to pull her from the room, out of the apartment and down the stairs.

Because, Riley knew, Maya would follow her absolutely anywhere in the world. Maya may be the pusher, but Riley had the final say, whether or not anybody other than the two girls knew that.

* * *

Of course the Homecoming nomination ballots would come out that Monday. Of course the entire school would be voting for members of their grade to potentially be on the Homecoming court that day.

It had to be on a day when Riley just wanted to disappear and be forgotten. It wasn't like she was being cocky by assuming that she would get on Homecoming Court. The previous year she and Maya had both been nominated, along with Missy Bradford, who had been the obvious choice for a nomination, since she had always been the biggest slut of the grade. Still, it had been Maya who had won the title of Ninth Grade Homecoming Queen, much to the surprise of everybody, including Maya.

And whenever somebody was nominated, they were expected to start campaigning. Maya hadn't campaigned the previous year, of course, because she hadn't cared. Instead, she had put all of her energy in working Riley's campaign, certain that she and Lucas would win together because they were the golden couple and belonged at the top.

Riley was not going to be campaigning to win that year. When she heard that she was on the ballot at the end of the week, she was already planning on rejecting the nomination before it could even be announced. She always knew earlier, because of her place on the Student Council, who helped to plan Homecoming and all of the extra activities that went along with it every year.

Instead, she would do for Maya what Maya had done for her the year before. She would put all of her energy into Maya's campaign so that Lucas could, once again, come out victorious with Maya Hart proudly broadcasted on his arm, like the perfect blonde couple that they were.

And Riley wouldn't be bitter this time around, the way she had been the year before. Because, what could she possibly have to feel bitter about, when Maya had been so an amazing friend to her these past couple of days? When Maya had been so selfless for so long, in order to make Riley happy.

Besides, why would Riley want to win and have to slow dance with some guy, even if it was Lucas? Why would she want to walk, arm-in-arm, with some moronic teenage male who was full of testosterone and convinced that he would be able to get lucky with whatever girl he spent the night attempting to woo?

Nobody knew that Riley was a lesbian, yet. Only her closest friends had an inkling of an idea, because she and Maya had told them all. The only thing that the rest of the school knew was that Farkle and Riley had broken up, because they had realized that they were better off as friends. And people only knew that because Farkle had started advertising that he was looking for a Homecoming date, to inform every girl in school that he was available to escort them.

Riley didn't blame him, of course.

This was the first time he had been single since the eighth grade. And he had no reason to feel guilty about racing to be with somebody new, because Riley had been the one to end things with him. And she knew that Farkle was secretly heartbroken over the ordeal, because he had actually had feelings for Riley that went deep. He had actually loved Riley, and she knew that he still wasn't completely over that.

So, she couldn't blame him for trying to be happy.

"I'm running your campaign," Riley declared, plopping down at the lunch table with the rest of her friends, interrupting Maya and Lucas's cuddle, borderline make-out, session.

"Campaign for _what?"_ Maya wondered, rolling her eyes as she pulled away from Lucas, removing his head from the crook of her neck, where he had been leaving a trail of kisses that seemed far too intimate for school.

"For _Homecoming,"_ Riley stated as though it should have been completely obvious to her.

"We don't even know if I'm going to be nominated," Maya laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"You _won_ last year," Riley pointed out.

"With me," Lucas said proudly, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's waist and pulling her in close to him.

"We know," Zay shook his head, shooting Lucas an annoyed look.

"Exactly," Maya rolled her eyes. "I won last year. Who would nominate me twice in a row?" She wondered.

"Melody and Ashleigh win every year," Riley pointed out.

"They're Melody and Ashleigh," Maya waved the thought away.

"And you're Maya Hart!" Riley insisted.

"Maya, you know that you're going get nominated, because you're dating me and we're the power couple of the world," Lucas told her, flashing her an encouraging smile.

"I don't _want_ to get nominated," Maya told them all with an amused smile on her face. "I know you guys think that this is some great honor and all, but I'm not saying that I won't get on the ballot because I don't think I'll win. I just don't _want_ to get on the ballot because I don't _care,"_ she rolled her eyes.

"Why not?" Riley whined.

"Because this isn't my dream, Riles," Maya flashed her best friend a warm smile. "It's _your_ dream and it's always been your dream. And it was fun and all last year, but I had my turn. Now it's your turn, so we're going to make sure that you win so that you can live out your dream," she told her best friend with a carefree smile on her face.

"Please stop giving things up for me," Riley pleaded.

"I'm not giving anything up for you," Maya insisted.

"I don't want to win either," Riley told Maya. "I don't need that kind of attention and what's the fun when I won't have any interest in the guy I get nominated with?"

"What if we make sure that you have an interest in the person that's nominated with you?" Maya asked with a wicked smile on her face. "What if our campaign was based on the fact that you _wouldn't_ be the traditional Homecoming Queen?" Maya smirked.

"It's not a campaign platform. It's my sexuality!" Riley gasped.

"I'm not saying that we should use it as some sort of pity card. It shouldn't be some nonsense thing that makes people vote for you just to feel like they did something good. I'm saying that we should do it to break the freaking mold and because then you don't have to feel like you're hiding something. The weight will be completely off of your shoulders!" Maya explained with an excited smile on her face.

"I like the idea," Smackle piped in. "I helped Maya come up with it, and I even suggested to volunteer as tribute as your running mate," She said supportively.

"No," Riley insisted, shaking her head. "I don't want to win, okay? I want you and Lucas to win and go and get your crowns like the perfect little blonde couple that you two have always been."

"Maya…. Why haven't you talked to me about this plan?" Lucas wondered.

"What are you talking about?" Maya frowned, turning back to her boyfriend. "Are you hinting that you want to win or something?"

The disappointment was flooding her face as she spoke, shocked that her boyfriend would dare go against her plan so that he could do something as frivolous as long to win Homecoming King for the second year in the row, as though it were some sort of great honor.

"Yeah," Lucas raised his eyebrows. "I kind of do," he admitted.

"We already did that!"

"As friends!"

"So?"

"So, I want to win Homecoming King with my girlfriend on my arm. I want to be a god damn power couple at this school and win four consecutive years. I want the fucking high school stereotype because I just want the stupid cliché so that we can show everybody in the future and we have this cute story to tell our kids someday! I want pictures to-"

He cut himself off, realizing what it was that he had just admitted. He winced, waiting for Maya to realize as well. But, at the current moment, she was frozen. She was staring at him with wide eyes and an emotionless expression on her face. Riley's jaw, however, was dropped almost to the floor and her eyebrows were raised. Zay's eyes were bulging out of his head. Farkle was staring at the ground, rubbing at the back of his neck like he was currently a part of something awkward. And Smackle was staring up towards the ceiling, beginning to play with her lunch as se looked anywhere other than at her friends, not wanting to be a part of this situation, knowing how awkward things were about to get for everybody involved.

" _What_ did you just say?" Maya gasped.

"Nothing," Lucas dropped his eyes towards the ground.

"Huckleberry," she said sternly. " _What_ did you just say? Did you tell me that you're planning on _marrying_ me? On having _children_ with me?" She asked, an amused smile beginning to spread across her face.

Riley noticed the change in expression and relief filled her own face. Zay let out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding, and when Farkle heard that, he looked up. Seeing the change in expression, he relaxed, slouching in his seat. Smackle glanced up from her lunch, and closed her eyes, muttering something under her breath before focusing on the couple sitting across from her.

"Yes?" Lucas admitting, sneaking a peak up at her.

When he saw the smile on her face, he relaxed as well.

"Well," Maya said coyly, leaning her head against his shoulder. "That's a pretty good plan. I think that I could go along with that," she confessed.

"So…. Homecoming?" Lucas wondered, raising his eyebrows in the air.

"Is that how you're gonna ask me?" She frowned, sticking out her bottom lip.

"You want something better?" He sighed.

"Oh, Huckleberry," Maya sighed. "I don't just want something _better._ I want something _epic,_ because if we're going to win this thing, you're going to need to pull out _all_ the stops," she smirked.

"Maya's going to turn into a Homecoming Queen Godzilla, isn't she?" Zay asked, eyes locked on the blonde with fear written all over his face.

"Oh yeah," Farkle nodded.

"And we're all going to have to help her, aren't we?" Zay wondered.

"Oh yeah," Farkle nodded once again.

"We can make cookies!" Riley squealed in excitement. "Oh, Peaches, are you really going to do this? You're really going to campaign and try to _win?"_ Riley cooed, grabbing onto her best friend's arm and resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Of course," Maya grinned. "It's what my best friend and my boyfriend want, and who am I to refuse my public of what they so badly desire?' Maya asked, fluttering her eyebrows as she peered up from beneath them with a flirtatious smile on her face.

"Okay, well, we're going to need some posters made which means we need to do a photo shoot of you and Lucas! But, until we can do that, we can settle with a couple of pictures you guys already have, so we're going to need to go through any old pictures of you guys," Riley said thoughtfully, immediately turning into her role as campaign manager.

Personally, Maya thought this entire thing was ridiculous. But, it clearly meant a lot to Lucas and she wasn't going to deny him something that was so important to him. If he wanted to be the tenth grade Homecoming King and hold onto his title for two consecutive years, she was going to do whatever it took to make that happen for him.

Besides, Riley had seemed uncharacteristically down all day. She had tried to hide it, but Maya could see the pain behind her smile. Talking about Maya's potential victory had been the first thing to truly cheer her up all day, and Maya was not going to let Riley wallow in self pity when she could do something so simple in order to make her friend happy again. If this was all that it was going to take to get Smiley Riley back, Maya would bite the bullet and do it. Because it was just another sacrifice in the long list of things she had given up in order to keep Riley happy. And, in all honesty, this was the smallest sacrifice that Maya had ever been asked to make by the brunette.

"Oh! And we can play up the whole cheerleader and football thing! People love stereotypes and it's the perfect cliché!" Smackle said, eyes sparkling.

"This is going to be a long month, isn't it?' Zay sighed.

"Oh, yeah," Farkle nodded, already dreading what their lives were about to become for the next few weeks.

Homecoming Court would be announced that Friday, and two weeks later would be the Homecoming game, followed by the Homecoming Bonfire. The next day would be the dance. That meant that the next two weeks were going to be filled with campaigning.

And since Maya and Lucas's nomination seemed so obvious, they would be spending this entire week plotting out the campaign. They would be setting everything up, so that by Monday morning, the entire school would be plastered in posters and Riley would be stationed at the front entrance with gift bags, encouraging them to vote for the school's favorite couple of blondes.

They might as well kiss their freedom goodbye, because the rest of October, including Halloween which was that Friday, and the first two weeks of November, were going to be dedicated to helping their friend's campaign.

"Hey-quick question," Zay said, raising his hand in the air. "Riley and I were both nominated last year. What happens if we get nominated again?" He wondered.

"I'm denying my nomination if that happens. I'm telling them at the meeting as soon as the votes are counted, because there's no way that I'm going to try to compete with The Blonde and Huckleberry Bond. And, besides that, I really don't want any of that attention," Riley explained quickly.

"Okay, but what about me?" Zay wondered.

"Do you… do you actually care about winning?" Lucas asked.

Zay stared at his friend, with a completely serious expression on his face. Lucas paled, worried of what was going to happen if both boys wanted the same thing. But, before Lucas could say anything else, Zay threw his head back and started laughing.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you. I couldn't care less about all this Homecoming nonsense. I just wanna go and have a good time with my friends to celebrate our victory," Zay assured his best friend with that shit-eating grin on his face that told Lucas that he was being completely honest.

* * *

Missy Bradford had been a nuisance in Riley and Maya's lives since the seventh grade when she had tried to steal Lucas away from their group of friends and sink her claws in him to claim him as her own. Still, even four years later, she was trying to steal Lucas away from the girls, as well as the rest of their friends, so that she could have him for herself.

She really just wanted to succeed in getting him, of course. It was a fact that was well known by even Lucas himself. After all, she was in a semi-committed, long-term, on-again-off-again relationship with Billy Ross.

Their relationship was mostly for show, in completely honesty. They hooked up on occasion, but all of their dates were to weekend parties or school dances, when neither one of them had taken the time to find another date for the evening. They used one another to show off, hoping to increase their own social standing at the school.

However, if Maya Hart was dating Lucas Friar, that meant that Missy was screwed, because her sham of a relationship with Billy wouldn't cut it. Especially since Billy Ross was no Lucas Friar.

This meant that things were serious, now. She was going to try harder than ever to try to tear Maya and Lucas apart, and not just to prove that she could. This time, it was going to be for the glory of beating Maya at something. Beating her at Homecoming Queen, and stealing away her boyfriend, breaking her heart at the same time.

It hadn't been a big deal when Riley and Lucas were her competition, because Riley had lacked the popularity to push her over the edge. Besides, Lucas and Riley had never looked like the ideal Homecoming Couple. There was something about her that failed to scream out Homecoming, the way that Maya did. And since Maya had been dedicating all of her energy into campaigning for Missy, she had assumed that her victory had been set in stone.

She hadn't been counting on Maya winning without putting any effort into things.

Which meant that, now, when Maya had the boyfriend and the campaign team in her favor, Missy was going to have to do something to cut her off at her knees. Because Missy had already lost too many times to Maya Hart and she was not going to lose again. She refused to lose to Maya one more time.

Just once, Missy wanted to come out on top.

Riley knew all of this, and that was why she panicked when she saw Missy strutting her way down the hallway, approaching Lucas with a wicked grin on her face, dressed in a way to make any guy drool. Wearing a pair of black, high-waisted sailor shorts that barely covered her ass, with a bright red, tank top blouse tucked in, unbuttoned to show off her ample cleavage. A pair of matching, red, peep toe, Mary Jane heels emphasized her toned legs. Her shoulder length, pin-straight, chestnut colored, glossy locks fell in a blunt style with her bangs pulled back beneath a red headband, creating the faintest of poofs. Her makeup was dramatically, heavily lining her eyes and lengthening her eyelashes. And her lips were painted a shade of red and outlined to emphasize their fullness.

"Lucas!"

She was squealing, frantically raising her volume and drawing unnecessary and unwanted attention to herself. But, she didn't care. She weaved through the crowds, racing to try to reach Lucas before Missy, who was still slowly strutting her way down the hallways. She didn't seem bothered at all by the fact that Riley was hurrying to get to him before her, and that worried Riley even more.

"Riles?" Lucas chuckled, raising his eyebrows as he turned away from his locker to face her with amusement written all over his face.

"You need to get out of here _now,"_ Riley insisted, wrapping her hands around his bicep and pulling.

"I'm trying to get my stuff, Riley," Lucas said, yanking himself free.

"Okay, but could you _hurry?_ Because we really have to leave, _right now,"_ Riley pleaded, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Why?" Lucas wondered, bending over to zip up his backpack that he had just finished filling with all of the books that he would need for his homework that night. "Is everything okay with Maya?" He wondered, swinging the bag over his shoulder and rising back up to his full height, concern written all over his face as he slammed his locker shut.

"No, but something is going to be wrong with your _relationship_ if you don't get the hell out of here right now!" Riley said, grabbing his arm again and yanking him as she walked off.

"Riley, can you just tell me what's going on?" Lucas asked, yanking his arm free. "Because I don't-"

" _Lucas!"_

Riley cursed under her breathe as Missy's high pitched, flirtatious voice filled the hallways, beckoning Lucas. Knowing the nice guy that Lucas was, there was no way he was going to walk away when the girl wanted to talk to him, even if he couldn't stand her and her antics to try to win him over.

"Lucas, seriously, _hurry,"_ Riley whispered frantically.

"Riley, I can catch up later if you need to be somewhere. Missy wants to talk to me," Lucas said with that easy going smile on his face.

"Of course she wants to talk to you! She's going to-"

"Lucas!" Missy was in front of them now and flashing a wide smile at the pair. "It's so cute how you and Riley stayed friends after all of this," she cooed.

"Why wouldn't we?" Lucas chuckled, flashing Missy that adorable grin that made every single girl in school absolutely swoon. "We've always been friends. Why would that change?" he wondered honestly.

"Oh, of _course_ it wouldn't change! But, that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about.," Missy said, flipping her hair coyly over her shoulder. "I actually was wondering if you could help me out with a little something?" She admitted, lowering her head and staring up at Lucas from beneath her eyelashes.

"Sure, if I can," Lucas nodded, adjusting the strap of his backpack.

"Well, I'm sure that you've heard all of the buzz about Homecoming nominations and I'm _sure_ you know that you and I are two of the top picks to make it on the ballot," Missy explained, a blush tinting her cheeks as though she were embarrassed by her popularity. "And I was just wondering if, maybe, you might want to be my campaign partner?" she asked with wide, innocent eyes.

"Missy, the nominations aren't even official yet," Lucas laughed, an easy going smile on his face.

"Oh, I _know!_ I was just wondering if you might want to plan ahead, just _in case_ we both get on the ballot, you know?"

"I'm really sorry, Missy, but I already promised Maya that I'd campaign with her if we got on. You know that we're dating, right?" Lucas wondered with that adorable, crooked smirk forming on his face as he saw his girlfriend approaching over Missy's shoulder.

"You _are?_ I hadn't the faintest idea that-"

"Yup," Maya chirped from behind Missy, pushing past the short brunette and stepping into Luca's embrace. "Aren't we just the _cutest_ couple, too?" she said with a sickly sweet smile on her face as she rose up to her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on Lucas's cheek.

"Well, I wish you both the-"

"Yeah," Maya cut her off, rolling her eyes. "You too, because heaven knows you're gonna need it," she smirked as she spun around, taking Lucas's hand on her own and guiding him towards the locker room.

Riley followed after her best friend, shooting Missy the dirtiest look she could muster. Maya, as always, had gotten in the last word and she had come out on top. She had been able to put Missy right back into her place, and she had done it all with a smile on her face, reminding everybody that she was Maya Hart, the queen bee, and she was not to be messed with. Especially not by some boyfriend stealing slut with only one interest-herself.

Sometimes, Riley couldn't help but be proud of her best friend for the way she always succeeded in standing up for herself and her friends. This was one of those moments.


	33. Ghost of Homecomings Past

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction  
Chapter 33: Ghost of Homecomings Past**

 _ **A/N: This chapter develops the plot a little bit more in the Homecoming Arc I've been working on and it also leads into the next chapter almost flawlessly, which is going to be a long flashback, looking back on Maya and Josh's relationship.**_

* * *

"Lucas, I need you to promise me something."

Maya was in rare form as soon as she crawled into the passenger's seat of Lucas's truck after practice, still dressed in her practice clothes. That was a sign that she wanted to head straight home, and it was also a sign that she needed to talk to him about something that couldn't wait for her to find the time to change back into her street clothes. And both of those things worried Lucas, because they weren't true to the typical Maya nature.

"Anything," he vowed, switching his truck into reverse so that he could back out of his parking space.

"Promise me that you won't let Missy come between us. She's going to be trying harder than ever to try to rope you into campaigning with her, and I couldn't care less about this whole thing, but I'll be damned if I let Prissy Bradford steal my man _and_ my crown," Maya huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with a dramatic pout.

"You _do_ realize that that was a major oxymoron, right?" Lucas wondered with a chuckle, cocking an eyebrow as he spared a glance at her, driving around the parking lot to head out onto the main road.

"What are you talking about?" Maya rolled her eyes, tugging her hair out of it's ponytail.

"I'm talking about how you said that you couldn't care less about this whole Homecoming thing, but you'd be damned if you let her steal your crown," Lucas snickered.

"I said I'd be damned if she stole my _man,"_ Maya insisted.

"And your _crown,"_ Lucas reminded her. "You said both, and I'm honored that you put me first. But, my attention is brought back to the fact that you want to win Homecoming Queen just as badly as I want to win King, nonetheless," he smirked, amusement written all over his face, causing Maya to grow frustrated.

"It was a slip of the tongue. I don't care about winning," Maya assured him, running her hands through her blonde curls.

"Why are you acting like this?" Lucas sighed. "If you want to win, you can admit it. Especially right now, to me. Hell, I told you at lunch how much this means to me in the most pathetic way possible."

"I'm not acting like anything, Huckleberry. I just don't care about this Homecoming crap," Maya shrugged her shoulders, staring out of the window. "Besides, it's cute that you guys all think we're such a shoo-in to win and all, but there's no way that I'm going to win twice in a row. So, why get my hopes up?"

"Is that what all of this is about?" Lucas frowned, clicking on his directional so that he could pull out of the parking lot. "Because that's silly. You won last year without putting any effort into this at all," he reminded her.

"Well, why can't we just do that again this year? Not put in any effort? And then, if we don't win, we don't look ridiculous after for putting in all of that work for nothing," Maya suggested.

"Or, we could put in the work and know that, even if we lose, we did everything that we could. We went out fighting. We _tried,"_ Lucas pointed out, turning onto the street.

"That's stupid," Maya snorted.

"Maya, can you just do this for me?" Lucas sighed.

"This actually means that much to you?" Maya asked, turning to study his reaction.

Lucas was quiet for a second, thoughtfully drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove, nodding his head in rhythm to the music that was playing through his speakers, even though it was one of Maya's playlists and full of songs that Lucas had never been the biggest fan of. Maya reached out, turning the radio down, and raised her eyebrows at him, expectantly waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, it really does," He relented.

"Why?"

"It's stupid," Lucas shook his head.

"Ranger Rick, if I'm going to agree to humiliate myself like this, you're going to tell me why this means so much to you," Maya commanded.

"Because it just…it fits the mold, okay? It's something that we're supposed to do. I'm the star of the football team and you're the captain of the cheerleading team. We're _supposed_ to be the most popular couple in school. I want us to have photo albums full of all of these corny and stereotypical things so that our kids can go through them and make fun of us for being corny, but admire the relationship that we have. I want to be that obnoxious couple of high school sweethearts!" He blurted out, turning onto another street as he admitted everything to her, hating how girly he sounded by uttering those words aloud.

"You want us to be the next Cory and Topanga?" Maya wondered.

"Yeah," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair with a nervous chuckle. "I guess I kind of do want that…but, can you blame me? Isn't that what everybody wants?"

"I'm not juding you, Ranger Rick," Maya rolled her eyes. "I actually think that's kind of adorable," she whispered, as though letting him in on some sort of huge secret.

"Well, anyways, besides all of that, you always said that you and I were going to be this power couple, and I want that for us," he told her with a cot smile.

"We're going to be the power couple of the world, Sundance-just you wait. We'll be action and adventure and we're going to save the world," Maya snickered, remembering the fantasy sequence she had described all those years ago, back when she was trying to convince Lucas to pick her.

"You know…. that sounded like a good idea back then," Lucas said thoughtfully.

Maya held her breath, waiting for him to finish his sentence, because she knew (and hoped) that there had to be something more. He couldn't just leave it at that, because that sounded too open ended. It sounded like he regretted something, and Maya wanted to ensure that he didn't regret his most recent decision to be with her. Because that would kill her.

"But, it sounds like an even better idea now."

* * *

Maya really did want to be the Homecoming Queen, even though she had been putting a brave face and acting, in her opinion, in a flawlessly blasé way about the topic, acting as though she couldn't care less. The truth was, no part of her believed that she would actually win for a second year in the row, because how _could_ she win after everything had happened so far this year already?

Things seemed to boing on a cycle for her. They were good for a little while and then something crashed and burned. She wasn't going to get her hopes up and believe that she could actually win, with Lucas at her side. Something bad was going to happen.

Hoping that things would be any different was futile, because that was just how Maya's life was. Things couldn't go too well for her for too long. There was no reason for it. The only thing there was was the fifteen years of evidence to show that nothing in Maya's life seemed to go smoothly for too long.

But, she couldn't let Lucas know that. Because, if he knew that, he would work overtime to try to get her to win, so that she would have what she wanted. Lucas had made it clear to her several times that his goal in life was to make sure that Maya always had everything that she had ever wanted in life. And when shit hit the fan, Maya was not going to let Lucas be crushed because he had disappointed her when he would already be upset about the fact that he had had lost, himself.

And she would never make him feel like, if he won without her also winning, he had to drop out. And she knew that he would, if he thought that had wanted to win. Because that was how Lucas was, always putting Maya before himself.

It was similar to how Maya always put Riley before herself. When you really love and care about a person, that's just what you did. You put them before yourself, and did everything in your power to ensure their happiness and their well being.

For the first time, Maya understood how stressful life must have been for Riley, knowing that Maya would give up any chance of happiness for herself so that the brunette could have nothing less than absolute happiness for herself. She knew how hard it must have been for Riley to try to stay strong, having absolutely nobody to break down to, because if Maya knew her true feelings about everything, she would never have a chance of happiness.

Lucas was going to do anything to make sure that Maya had the world at her feet, because he thought that she deserved the entire world. He wanted to treat her like the queen that he had always known her to be, and he wouldn't settle for anything less.

It was a lot of pressure, knowing that somebody would give up everything just to make you happy. And it wasn't something that Maya had ever been used to in her life.

Not because she wasn't surrounded by people who loved her. Riley was the best friend she could ever have, but Maya had dedicated her life to keeping Riley safe from the cruel realities of the real world and ensuring that the brunette was always happy. Farkle needed Maya to protect him, and she couldn't depend on him to protect her.

Her mother had come close, working endless hours to make sure that Maya had food on the table and a safe place to live. But, she had neglected the fact that Maya needed love and affection from somebody in her family in order to truly be happy.

Riley's parents had tried their hardest, but they had two children of their own to put first. Their loyalties went to Riley and Auggie before they went to Maya. Topanga had walked on a thin line, trying to be fair to both girls, but her motherly nature made it impossible for her to ever really put Riley's feelings aside so that Maya could be happier. It would have been impossible for the Matthews's to have done that for both girls. They would have had to pick one over the other, and biology was going to require that girl to be Riley, and Maya couldn't be bitter about that.

And Shawn, as generous as he was, was not one to put Maya's happiness before anything else in the world. He would not allow her future to be threatened, which meant that there were rules and there were punishments. He surrounded her with structure that she had never known before and he had ignored the damages that could be caused by that immediate change in her life, despite the fact that he should have known better than anybody else, since it had been done to him years ago.

There had only been two people in her life before Lucas who had been able to give her anything even close to what she currently had.

Zay, who had given her constant pep talks to try to convince her to change her ways. Zay, the boy who had stepped on other people to try to make Maya feel better about herself and the only person who didn't tiptoe around Riley's feelings, choosing instead to focus on building up the self-esteem of the blonde.

And then there was Josh, who had ensured that she knew that she was better than Riley at at least one thing. She was the best friend in the entire world and even Riley couldn't compete with her about that. Joshua Matthews, who risked so much and went through so much in order to date Maya, ignoring any of the negativity that came his way as a result.

And maybe it was unfair of her to cast Josh aside now that she had Lucas, but her love for Josh had never come from the fact that he had always put her first. But, by the same token, it would have been wrong to reject Lucas when he was doing the same thing that Josh was doing.

It was a complicated web and ther was no way that she would ever be able to figure out where one boy beat out the other. So, she had to pick the boy that her heart chose, and that had been Lucas. She may love them both, but there was only one of them that made her go speechless and weak in the knees.

No matter how big the part of her was that would always love Josh, she knew that the part of her that loved Lucas would always be bigger. And the regret, the constant question of "what if" would have eaten away at her, making the love for Lucas grow stronger with every passing day that she was with Josh. Eventually, her feelings for Lucas would start to turn into bitterness for Josh and any chance of keeping Josh in her life would have been long gone.

By picking Lucas the right way, at the right time, she was able to save her relationship with Josh. She would always be able to have him as a friend, and she needed that. The way that Lucas had always known that he needed both girls in his life, in two different ways, Maya knew that she needed both Lucas and Josh in her life.

Nobody that was a part of Maya's life could leave her. Not Zay and not Smackle. Not Farkle and definitely not Riley. And Josh had found a way to weasel himself into her life and make himself an irreplaceable part of it.

She would never regret the choice that she had made to be with Josh, back when she had forced Lucas to pick Riley. Because she knew that she had been doing the right thing, because it had made her best friend happy. And the same way that the boys always put Maya's happiness first, Maya was going to put Riley's happiness first.

But, at some point in her life, Maya was going to have to put her own feelings before anybody else's. She was going to have to learn how to look out for herself, because it was important that everybody know that the only person they could always trust, one hundred percent, was themselves. So, she needed to teach herself how to put herself first, every now and then, when it really mattered.

And when she had picked Lucas, that had been her first attempt of picking herself. Of choosing her own happiness, for once in her life. And she would never regret that decision for as long as she lived.

* * *

Lucas showed up at Maya's apartment with Chinese takeout from her favorite Chinese restaurant and a bright smile on his face.

"Please tell me there are crab rangoons in that bag," Maya groaned.

She was lying on her stomach on the floor of her bedroom, doodling in a sketchpad with her tongue sticking out between her lips in concentration, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Lucas thought she looked the most adorable creature in the entire world.

Riley was sitting besides her, leaning back against Maya's bed with her knees bent, a photo album leaning against her thighs as she flipped through the pages, selecting photos for a pile of pictures. Smackle was sitting on the floor across from Riley, by Maya's head with her legs tucked underneath her as she searched through another photo album for pictures for her own pile.

Zay was sitting on Maya's bed with Farkle, both boys sitting with their legs criss crossed in front of them, a notebook in each of their laps and pencils tucked behind their ears as they debated possible campaign slogans for Lucas and Maya to use.

Loud, throwback music in a mix of genres filled the room, blaring from Maya's speakers and Lucas was shocked at how his friends all seemed to be working together.

"And a duck spring roll!" Riley sighed, leaning her head back against the bed behind her.

"Some vegetarian egg rolls sound _delicious_ right now," Smackle exclaimed, eyes lighting up when she saw the two takeout bags in Lucas's hands.

"Don't forget the pork pot stickers," Zay exclaimed.

"Seriously, if you forgot those, Zay and I are going to eat you instead, Freak Face," Farkle said seriously, high-fiving the boy sitting across from him.

Lucas shook his head, ignoring his friends' antics as he set the box down on Maya's desk, opening up the first box. He brought the girls each their respective appetizers and stopped a container of Zay and Farkle's pot stickers in front of each of them, knowing they would each need their own order to be completely satisfied. He saved the third order for himself, setting it down besides Maya and planting a quick kiss on her cheeks, before returning to the bags and opening up the second one.

Then, he brought Riley her mandarin crispy prawns and Maya her orange peel chicken. He carefully tossed Zay his kung pao beef and Farkle his moo shu pork. He tried not to make a face at the vegetables only noodle dish that Smackle had wanted and he brought his Mongolian beef over towards Maya, taking a set besides her.

"Best boyfriend ever," Maya sighed, rolling over onto her back. "Seriously, this is _perfection,"_ she moaned as she sat in an upright position, facing her friends.

She quickly dipped one of her rangoons into the duck sauce she had gotten with it and popped it into her mouth, squeezing the whole thing in at once.

"How long have you guys been at this?" Lucas wondered.

"You dropped Maya off at five?" Riley wondered, eyebrows raised.

"Five forty-five," Lucas shook his head.

"And I got out of yearbook at four and came right over and it's seven-thirty now, so…. just over three hours?" Riley shrugged.

"You guys came over _before_ Maya got out of practice?" Lucas asked in shock.

"Riley has a key to my apartment," Maya rolled her eyes.

"You guys need to take a break," Lucas insisted. "How much did you get done?"

"We came up with some bad ass slogans!" Zay beamed. "Wanna hear them?"

"We're not using those," Maya groaned.

"Shut up and let Lucas decide," Zay glared at her.

"Let me hear them," Lucas rolled his eyes, knowing that he was going to regret this decision.

"Turn my frown upside down-help me win the crown. Vote Maya and Lucas!" Farkle recited with a bright smile on his face.

"Share a vote with Lucaya!" Zay exclaimed.

"Bubble gum! We'll pop into your head on election day!"

"Some people are worth voting for! Hash tag-"

"Okay stop," Lucas laughed, throwing his head back after just hearing three and a half of his friends' ideas. "We're not doing that," He decided.

"I had a better idea anyways," Maya declared, picking up her sketch book and flipping back a few pages.

She turned it out to face her friends with a sheepish smile on her face. Drawn out on the thick, white page was a football helmet in a deep shade of blue with a silver, sparkling tiara resting on the top. Below that, was a simple message, encouraging everybody to vote for Maya and Lucas.

"That's _perfect!"_ Riley gushed.

"It's simple and it's vague, but it's right to the point!" Smackle agreed.

"I don't know," Zay frowned. "It sort of looks like Lucas is trying to be a queen. I think that our-"

But, Maya was one step ahead of him. She flipped to the next page in her sketchbook and showed everybody a set of blue and silver pom-poms with a black and silver prince's crown resting in the middle of the pom-poms. The same message was written on this drawing, but arched to build up above the image that she had drown.

"It's a set," Zay cut himself off. "Of course it's a set," He muttered, crossing his arms in defeat.

"I like it," Farkle shrugged. "I think that it's just enough, without any sort of overkill," he agreed with the girls.

"Ranger Rick?" Maya wondered, flipping her sketchbook shut and setting it aside.

"I love it, babe," Lucas grinned, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in close to him, pressing a kiss against her cheek. "You've got a gift, you know that? And that gift is gonna get us that victory."

"You're gonna be one gorgeous queen," Riley observed, eyeing the tiara from the year before that was positioned on the top of one of Maya's bookshelves, with a few other mementos that Lucas knew were important to her.

"We have to go dress shopping this weekend!" Smackle declared, shocking everybody by her excitement about the prospect of spending a day shopping. "Our queen has to have the _perfect_ dress for her coronation," she went on.

"Our perfect little blonde couple-I could imagine a better Homecoming king or queen," Zay declared.

"A toast, to our very own Homecoming Royalty!" Farkle took his can of soda from Maya's bedside paper and raised the can up in the air.

All of their friends immediately did the same, lunging to grab their bottles of water or cans of soda, and threw them up in the air, loudly cheering on their best friends. All of them except for Maya, that is. She didn't seem to be celebrating or basking in the attention at all.

Instead, she blushed at the statement, shaking out her hair so that it fell in a curtain, shielding her modest smile from the rest of her friends. And that was all that Lucas needed to see to know that Maya cared about winning. Despite all of her protesting to try to deny the truth, that one look was all that Lucas needed to know that Maya had lied to him. Because she did care about winning and she cared a lot. It didn't tell him why she had lied, but that part didn't matter. He didn't need to know her reasons. He just needed to know the truth. And that one look was all that he needed to tell him that his girlfriend wanted that crown.

And if his girl wanted to win Homecoming Queen? Well, he was going to make sure that she won, because she deserved everything in the world and more. She deserved to have everything that she had ever wanted handed to her on a silver platter. Because she was a princess, and Lucas thought it was about damn time that the rest of the world started to see her that way as well.

She was something special and people didn't seem to realize that. He knew that they saw her as being gorgeous. They thought she was loyal. They thought she was fearless and talented. And she was popular, of course.

But, they didn't seem to realize that she was the best damn thing about that school. About that town. About New York City as a whole. She was the best damn thing about the entire state of New York, and no matter where she went, that could be said about her location. Because Maya Hart was something special.

Lucas wanted to make sure that the rest of the world saw her as being as special as he saw her, but he also wanted to make sure that Maya knew that she was special. He wanted her to feel that amazing feeling for the rest of her life, where she knew that she was something special and worth so much more than anybody might think.

* * *

Josh had always known that Maya's desire to make the most out of her time in high school would be one of the biggest issues in their relationship. They had managed to get by with only a few small little fights for about the issue, but he knew that the fact that she was still in high school and wanted to enjoy her time there, while he was in college and over the high school scene, had been one of her deciding factors. Which was why he had shown up at that football game and gone to that party with her, to prove that he was willing to compromise.

But, it had been too little, too late.

He had already made it known that he didn't want to be forced to attend all of those high school events that he had been dragged to when he was in high school himself. He had already fought with her about her own love for all that high school had to offer her too many times for her to ever believe that he was honestly there just to support her, without any other sort of ulterior motive behind it.

Homecoming in Maya's freshman year had ruined everything. It was early on in their relationship, so Maya had let it go and gotten over the fight, but Josh knew that Maya had always remembered everything that had happened when they had gone at it over what should have been a moment of celebration for the beautiful blonde who had been so excited when she called him to give him the good news.

And he had ruined that for her. He had turned it into something that she should be ashamed of and had to mask her excitement about. And he was never going to be able to forgive himself for what he had done to her.

* * *

One of the main reasons that the crown mattered to much to Maya was that she wanted this year's dance to be different than the one before. She wanted it to be better, where she could actually be proud of what she had accomplished.

She wanted to look at her boyfriend and be lifted in the air and twirled around when she found out that she was a nominee, the way that Lucas had done with Riley the previous year. She wanted to be allowed to campaign and have fun with it, working to get the votes so that she could come out on top.

And she wanted to hold her head up high when they announced that she had won queen. She wanted to get all dolled up and show up at the dance with her boyfriend on her arm, acting as the beautiful, blonde, royal couple that she knew they could be.

She didn't want to walk out and get crowned with her best friend's boyfriend. She didn't want to be with somebody else's boyfriend and have to share the first dance of the evening with him. And she definitely didn't want to have to walk away afterwards and go off to spend the evening with Zay, who had been her friend-date for the dance, since Josh couldn't attend the dance and wouldn't even attempt to figure out a way to make it work.

She just wanted to go out and have a good time. She wanted to have fun with her night and celebrate what she got. She wanted to feel honored, and have a great memory to help her shield the memories from the year before. The memories that had been eating away at her, and had been a large part of the reason that she wasn't publically voicing her excitement about the possible nomination and the campaign process.

She knew that it wasn't fair to Lucas, to allow terrible memories from her former relationship with Josh to affect her relationship with Lucas. But, she couldn't help it. Because, while Lucas and Riley may have had a sham of a relationship over the past year, Maya's relationship with Lucas had been absolutely, one hundred percent real, and the effects were going to stick with her, because they meant something.

* * *

Lucas knew that something deeper was bothering Maya.

He knew, of course, all about the fights that Maya had had with Josh about the age difference. He had never said anything, because he knew it was an obstacle for the two of them. He didn't think that it was his place to voice his opinion, when it would lead to a potential break up between Josh and Maya.

So, he was sure that something that had happened during Homecoming of the year before had been the reason behind her actions all day. He knew that something Josh had said to her was causing her to act ashamed of the strong possibility that she was going to win a nomination, and eventually win the crown.

There was a reason that Maya was acting like she didn't want to win and Lucas wouldn't rest until he knew why. And then he wouldn't rest until he had helped make Maya feel better, so that she was proud of her accomplishments. Because she deserved to celebrate.


	34. A Memory

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A GMW Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 34: A Memory**

 _ **A/N: The flashback to what happened last year at homecoming. I tried to play Josh out as being a typical jealous boyfriend, so let me know if you think I did an okay job with equally distributing the asshole moments and the moments where you sympathize with him a little. A new chapter should be out soon with the beginning the Homecoming drama that will come from Missy and the campaign.**_

* * *

" _Josh!"_

 _Maya Hart came bursting through the door of his old brother's apartment with a beaming Riley by her side. The blonde had a bright, excited smile on her face and that dazzling sparkle behind her denim blue eyes. The sparkle that had stolen his heart and caused him to fall in love with her. And that smile was one that he didn't get to see enough. He loved it when she looked like that-absolutely and positively happy. When she looked proud of herself, like she didn't think anything could bring her down._

 _With how little hope Maya had had for herself when she was younger, it made Josh happy to see her acting in such a way. He loved it when he saw her looking absolutely, positively radiant. When she looked like all of her dreams were coming true and her life was falling perfectly into place. Josh loved it and he loved that he got to sit there and enjoy these moments with her. That he was the one she had chosen to be with and share her happiness with. He loved it even more when she was smiling like that_ _ **because**_ _of Josh._

 _Josh had been coming to visit every weekend since he and Maya had decided to try to make things work out between them. He loved spending time with his girlfriend, after all, and he loved making sure that Lucas Friar didn't have too much of Maya's time._

 _Because, no matter what happened, Josh was always going to be bitter and jealous about Maya and Lucas. He tried his hardest not to be, but he couldn't help it. Maya had been torn between Lucas and Josh. Josh knew that Lucas still liked Maya. So, that made Lucas a threat and he was the logical option._

 _He knew that he had gotten lucky that Maya had chosen him and he knew it. He was the luckiest girl in the world and he'd be damned if he ever let anybody threaten his relationship with the blonde. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her and the very idea caused his heart to ache, threatening to break right in half._

 _"Hey," He jumped up from the kitchen table had had been sitting at, talking to his sister-in-law and raced towards Maya, wrapping her in his arms and twirling her around, lifting her tiny frame right off of the ground._

 _"Guess what?" Riley shouted, slamming the door shut behind her as she hurried towards her mother._

 _"Guess what?" Cory yelled, throwing open the door that his daughter had just slammed in his face as he stormed into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him._

 _"Don't tell her here!" Maya shrieked, unwrapping her arms from Josh's neck and dropping gracefully down onto the ground. "I want to tell Josh!" She insisted._

 _"Tell me what?" Josh and Topanga asked at the same time._

 _"Bay Window!" Maya declared, grabbing her boyfriend's hand and pulling him towards Riley's bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them._

 _"That's not okay!" they heard Cory shouting. "Shawn is going to be very mad at me for this!" He insisted._

 _Maya shook her head, rolling her eyes. Ever since Shawn had proposed to Katy, he had started to act even more overly protective over Maya, vouching that he was doing it for Shawn. It sort of bothered Maya, but she couldn't hate the feeling of being cared about and actually having a real father figure in her life. It was what she had always longed for, and she finally had it. And by having it from Shawn, she also got to have it from Cory. Maybe it got tiring to get it constantly from two different father-figures but it made up for lost time._

 _"What's going on?" Josh asked, sitting down at the bay window with Maya. "Everything's okay, right?" he asked, taking her hand in his own and giving her a reassuring squeeze, with their joined hands resting in his lap._

 _"Guess what?" She shook her head, beaming at him._

 _"I hate this game," Josh laughed, unable to contain himself from showing his girlfriend how much humor he found in her. "I always guess stupid things that couldn't be true or I guess things that make you feel like what I was supposed to guess isn't as exciting as it really is," he whined._

 _"Oh, you're no fun," Maya teased, resting her head on his shoulder as he leaned up against her._

 _"Just tell me so that we can go out and celebrate," Josh chuckled, shaking his head._

 _"I made Homecoming Court! I'm one of the nominees for Homecoming Queen!"_

 _"As a freshman?" Josh frowned._

 _"No," Maya giggled. "Well, sort of. We have three nominations for every grade, except for seniors. And one of those nominations wins queen for their grade. The senior winner gets Homecoming Queen," Maya explained._

 _"And you're one of the freshman nominations?" Josh asked with a smile._

 _"I am!"_

 _"So, does that mean I should go out and get a tux or something? Do I need to match my tie to your dress? I never really did the whole school-dance thing, myself. And I'm not planning on doing it this year. But, if you want me to go with you, I will," He said, flashing her a wide smile._

 _"Oh," Maya frowned, a crease forming between her eyebrows. "You want to go?"_

 _"Well, not really. You know how I feel about all of this high school crap," Josh rolled his eyes. "But, if it's for my girl, I guess I can bite the bullet a little," he promised._

 _"It's just…. I didn't think you'd want to go. Zay's on court and he asked me if I'd let him escort me. We're both gonna help Riley and Lucas campaign, but-"_

 _"You're going to help Riley campaign?"_

 _"Well, yeah," Maya nodded. "Lucas is bound to win for Freshman king and-"_

 _"Lucas," Josh muttered, shaking his head and rolling his eyes._

 _"It's not like I'm going with Lucas! Riley is going with her_ _ **boyfriend,"**_ _Maya emphasized the word. "And I just figured that Zay and I could stick around as friends. Besides, he'd feel like the-"_

 _"So, what you're saying is that you don't want to go with me?"_

 _"You told me you hated all this high school stuff!"_

 _"But I'd do it for you!"_

 _"Josh, you never even want to come to my games," Maya pointed out, yanking her hand back from his own._

 _"I hate sports!"_

 _"But you could come to support me!" She jumped to her feet. "I was so excited about all of this and you're ruining it," Maya accused._

 _"I'm ruining it? Maya, I'm upset because I love you and I'm your boyfriend. I wanted to go to this stupid dance to support you because I love you and this is something that makes you happy. But, you're going to go with Zay!" He accused._

 _"Zay was freaking out about having to be by himself. And since I need to walk out with one of the guys, I thought it would just be easier if he and I went as friends," Maya explained, dropping down besides him as she tried to calm herself down._

 _"How about this," Josh said, taking his hand in her own. "You and Zay help Riley and Lucas win. You and Zay walk out together and you have whatever stupid first dance you have to have with him-as long as he keeps his hands to himself. And them, you me and Zay can spend the night hanging out together? We can split the dances or something, so he doesn't feel like a third wheel. And I'll be there to support my girl, because I want her to know that I'm proud of her," Josh grinned, releasing her hand to wrap his arm around her, pulling her in close._

 _"Even for winning some mundane popularity contest?" Maya teased._

 _"Even for that," Josh agreed, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "Now, go get ready for your game and let's head out for pizza with your friends, the way you do every Friday. And then we're going to head off to your game and I'll be in the front row watching you," he promised._

 _"Even while I'm supporting gender stereotypes?" Maya teased again._

 _Josh rolled his eyes, chuckling as he shook his head. But, he didn't answer her. Instead, he just ducked his head down and planted a soft kiss on her lips, loving that he was allowed to do that whenever he wanted._

 _Maya smiled into the kiss and leaned in closer, trying to make it last as he pulled away, a sheepish grin beginning to spread across his face and he could feel himself blushing._

 _"Even then," he assured her with a mocking grin, leaning in for another kiss._

 _Before they could make contact that time, though, the door flew open and Cory came racing inside._

 _"I've left you two alone in here too long! Shawn can never know! He'll kill me if he finds out that I left his daughter alone with a boy in a_ _ **bedroom,**_ _" He shrieked, pushing his way between them as he dropped down on the bay window in between, flashing them an innocent smile as he folded his hands in his laps, looking between the two of them as if he had no idea why the two teenagers were staring at him with such accusing looks._

* * *

 _Maya came bursting into the Matthews' apartment dressed in her cheerleading uniform, followed by a sulking Riley and an arrogant Lucas. Aware of the tension among the former Triangle, an awkward looking trio consisting of Zay, Farkle and Smackle._

 _"Maya!' Josh immediately was shooting off of the couch and straight towards his girlfriend, cupping her face in his hands as he pressed his lips up against hers, sliding his hands down towards her waist and pulling her in closer as she rose to her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull herself as close to him as possible._

 _"Guess what?" Maya squealed exciting as she pulled back, that sparkle in her eyes._

 _"What?" Josh grinned, unable to contain himself from catching her contagious form of happiness over whatever had gotten their tiny little group into such a tizzy._

 _"I_ _ **won!"**_ _She beamed, her smile widening even more. "I'm Homecoming Queen!"_

 _"You won?" Josh beamed, lifting Maya off of the ground and twirling her around. "That's my girl," he exclaimed._

 _Lucas stood there with his arms crossed, kicking the door shut behind him so harshly that it slammed harder than any of the group could ever recall it slamming. His expression hardened as he leaned against a wall, glaring at Josh and Maya in their intimate state, celebrating her victory as she stood there in her sexy as sin cheerleading uniform with her hair wild, oversized bow twisted up into her hair with her cheerleading sneakers somehow making her look even hotter than she usually did-which was something that Josh found hard to believe, because she was the sexiest girl that he had ever seen on a bad day._

 _After all, her long legs were left bare from the short, tight fighting navy blue skirt with the white lining and high, star-shaped cut-out that showed even more of her right leg and offering the tiniest sneak at her navy blue spandex shorts that hugged and emphasized her ass. Her stomach was left bare from the cropped, sleeveless cheerleading vest in navy and white with BOBCATS written across from the front. Her arms were covered by a white, mock neck turtle neck underneath the vest and her sneakers were a blinding shade of white. Her bow was large and oversized to a ridiculous amount and a deep shade of blue, covered in silver sparkles._

 _With her wild blonde curls, pulled into a half-up, half-down style and popping, navy blue eyes, she looked like the ideal homecoming queen. Everything about her shouted out that she belonged on the high school throne._

 _"Hey, Zay, congratulations, man," Josh added, releasing Maya as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held out his free hand to Zay with a grin._

 _"For what?" Zay wondered, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as he studied the older boy, clearly searching for an answer somewhere._

 _"You're the Homecoming King, right?" Josh frowned, staring down at Maya in confusion, asking her for some sort of an explanation._

 _"Oh, Zay didn't win," Maya muttered, lowering her gaze towards her sneakers._

 _"Oh, you haven't heard the best part," Riley said dryly. "Why don't you tell Josh who won, Maya? Why don't you let your boyfriend know who win king?"_

 _"It doesn't matter," Maya insisted, shaking her head. "I'll just tell them at the game that I can't accept the-"_

 _"I won," Lucas spoke up, raising one hand in the air and smirking at Josh. "Maya's my queen and I'm her king."_

 _Josh released his grip on Maya and turned on his heel, storming off towards his niece's bedroom, throwing the door open and stomping inside. He slammed the door shut behind him and sat down in the bay window, waiting for one of the girls to show up. He knew that one of them was bound to follow him._

 _"What's going on?"_

 _Maya was walking through the door, gently closing it behind her as she cautiously walked over towards the window seat._

 _Josh sighed, placing his elbows between his knees and bending over, hanging his head down low and placing his forehead in his hands as he stared at the ground, trying to figure out what to say to explain his immature outburst._

 _"Josh?" Maya wondered, her voice full of pain._

 _"So, you and Lucas are going to this dance together?" Josh asked finally, looking up at her with pain written all over his eyes and hating himself for the tears that he could feel filling up the dark brown orbs._

 _"We're not going together. He's going with Riley and I'm going to go with you, just like we talked about. I just need to walk out with him when they announce court and I'm going to need to dance with him for the first song. But after that I'm all yours," Maya assured him, taking a seat besides him but keeping a bit of a distance between him, showing that she was clearly nervous to try to attempt and make any sort of contact with him, which only worsened his guilt about the situation._

 _"Yeah, a slow dance with a guy who you liked a month ago. A guy who liked you and would have picked you, if you'd let him," Josh said dryly._

 _"He's dating my best friend, Josh. Nothing is ever going to happen with Lucas and me. I'm over that, okay?" Maya insisted, pacing a tentative hand on his shoulder._

 _"I'm not going to the dance," Josh told her, crossing his arms over his chest, shaking her hand off of him as he slid away from her._

 _He regretted it as soon as he did it, because she lowered her head, wrapping her arms around herself as her bottom lip quivered. Josh knew, from years of observing her, that her blue eyes were welling up with years._

 _She had been so excited when she had entered the apartment. She had been ready to celebrate her victory. She wanted everybody to know about what she had accomplished. She had been proud of herself, even though she knew that it was causing tension in her friendship group and that her best friend was jealous of her for coming out on top._

 _Josh had managed to single handedly ruin all of her feelings about her title as queen. He had only added to her guilt over winning the right to be Lucas's queen when he was dating her best friend. And now she was ashamed of her accomplishment. Even more ashamed than she had been over being excited over the mere nomination two weeks prior, when she had thought that Josh would be embarrassed to be dating a girl who was giving into gender normalities and caring about the results of a popularity contest._

 _"You're not going?" Maya whispered._

 _"I can't go and watch you be with him. It was going to be hard enough watching you walk out on Zay's arm. At least you didn't have to dance with Zay. Now, though? He's going to be holding onto you and pulling you close. He's going to have you on his arm. I can't watch it, Maya," Josh sighed, shaking his head._

 _"It's fine," Maya shrugged. "It's just Homecoming," she replied with an eye roll, as though it didn't mean anything to her._

 _But, it did matter. She did care and he knew that was well as anybody. This meant the world to her, because it was the first sign that everything in her life was changing. It was the first moment where things really seemed to be looking up for her, and that meant something to her. But, now Josh had ruined that and she wouldn't be able to redeem the upcoming night and the dance that accompanied it._

 _It was ruined for her, and it was all Josh's fault._

 _"I'm really sorry, Maya," Josh whispered, and he meant it._

 _"Seriously, it's fine. I'll just go and hang out with Zay, just like we planned before. It's just some stupid high school dance, Josh," Maya said, flashing him a smile._

 _But, it didn't quite reach her eyes and he knew that this moment was going to come back to haunt him eventually. This moment was going to become a make or break moment for them in the future and he knew it from the second that it happened. And all that he wanted was the opportunity to take it all back._

 _He would have done anything in the world to get back the smiling girl who had raced through the front door and directly into his arms to inform her boyfriend about her good news._

* * *

 _Josh was sitting in the living room at his brother's apartment, working on his chemistry homework and struggling through the review questions at the end of the chapter, when Maya, Riley and Smackle came giggling from Riley's bedroom, ready for the dance._

 _He tried his hardest not to glance in their direction, not wanting to see the girls. He couldn't stand to see Maya looking absolutely gorgeous when he wouldn't be spending the night by her side. And he knew that she was going to look breathtaking, so he had to try to resist the urge to look at her. Which was difficult because his eyes tended to drift off in her direction without any consent from his mind._

 _The door to the apartment opened and Josh could hear Zay, Farkle and Lucas in some conversation as they walked inside. But, their voices trailed off and all conversation stopped as the door closed behind them and Josh was sure it was because they had spotted the girls. That was when his curiosity got the better of him and he looked up, carefully studying the boys as discreetly as possible._

 _Farkle was standing in pair of black dress pants with an off-white button down shirt and black and pale gold striped tie. Zay was wearing black dress pants with a maroon dress shirt and a silver, sparkly bow tie that would have made Josh laugh if he had been in a better mood. And then there was Lucas, wearing a pair of grey dress pants with a black shirt and a silver and black stripped tie. And he was wearing a god damn cowboy hat on his head, which told Josh that he was looking to play his stupid little game with Maya that night, which made Josh want to run into Auggie's room and hurriedly put on his own dress pants, shirt and tie so that he could take the beautiful blonde far away from the Western Hero._

 _He followed Lucas's gaze, straight onto Maya, who looked, as predicted, like a dream come true._

 _Her toned legs were left bare and emphasized due to the silver, caged designer shoes that she had called to excitedly tell Josh all about. They had been a gift from Shawn after her brand new step-father had seen her dress. A pair of silver, dangling earrings hung from her ears and she had a small stack of silver, diamond studded bangles lining her right wrist. A silver, sparkled wallet-purse dangled from her left wrist._

 _A maroon, short dress hugged her chest and the high, halter neckline emphasized its size. The bodice was decorated with an elaborate silver design and the neckline was full of silver studs, matching the ones at the waist line. The skirt flowed out around her legs, just enough to give her some room for movement, but was still tight enough to show off her curves._

 _Gulping at the sight of her looking so amazing, he turned his attention towards his niece, double checking to make sure that she looked appropriate._

 _Riley's dress was just a little bit longer than Maya's, landing about three inches above her knees while Maya's landed in the middle of her thighs. It consisted of a tight, hot pink strapless bodice with a layered, slightly hooped-out skirt and black lace coming out of the hem. A pair of black, peep toe sling backs-another conversation Josh had been forced to listen to due to his girlfriend's chattering-added a few inches to her height and she had a thick, collar necklace in black wrapped around her neck that perfectly matched her ball-shaped earrings. A stack of black bangles was settled on her wrist and she had a black wristlet twisted up inside of the bangles._

 _Smackle, the third girl that Josh didn't know that well, had her eyes locked on him, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. She was dressed in a tan colored dress with a lace bodice with off the shoulder straps and a flowing skirt. A pair of matching pumps added to her height and she had a bag just like her friends' wrapped around one wrist with a thick bracelet on the other. Long, dangling earrings to match hung from her own ears._

 _"Wow…. You look amazing," Lucas said, and it was clear to everyone-or maybe just to Josh, because he was the only one who cared-that he was talking directly to Maya. "You all do," he chucked nervously, reaching up to scratch behind his neck._

 _Josh threw his pen down onto his open textbook and rose to his feet, walking over towards Maya with a large grin on his face._

 _"You look beautiful," he told her, leaning down and kissing the corner of her mouth. "I wouldn't want to mess up your make-up," he teased her, seeing her questioning look over the placement of the kiss._

 _Maya rolled her eyes, grabbing the neck of his Rolling Stones t-shirt and pulling him in close to her, pressing her lips up against his._

 _"I waited to put my lipstick on until_ _ **after**_ _I got to kiss you," she informed him with that sparkle back in her eyes and that smile on her face._

 _"Well," Josh said, planting one more peck on her lips. "I'm glad you did."_

 _He turned around and walked over towards the boys, holding a hand out to Zay. Zay met his hand, shaking it firmly. Josh pulled him in slightly, so that he could whisper in his ear. He had noticed that the other two boys hadn't bothered to bring a corsage for their dates, but Josh had thought Maya should have one. When he had been planning on going, he had purchased one for the blonde and one of those weird flower pin things that the men wore for himself and another for Zay. Just because he wasn't going didn't mean Maya shouldn't have the flowers._

 _"Take care of my girl, okay? And run over to the fridge. There's some flowers in there. Give Maya one, and you take one of the pins for yourself. And," He sighed, hating himself for what he was about to say next. "Give Lucas the other one, so they match a little when they walk out."_

 _Zay nodded, looking like a man on a mission as he made his way across the apartment. Josh shook his head, finding the boy amusing, even though he knew that Zay secretly despised him for ruining his favorite couple. Josh made his way back towards Maya, wrapping an arm around her waist. Lucas was already talking to Riley, looking like they were having some sort of fight, while Farkle was deep in a conversation with Smackle, looking over Josh's chemistry homework with deep interest. Josh was only slightly embarrassed that two freshmen were going to be able to understand the subject better than he ever could._

 _"You're still gonna take pictures with me, right?" Maya asked, wrapping her arms around Josh's neck, locking eyes with him._

 _"Even though I look like a douchebag?" Josh wondered._

 _"Yeah, I guess I can deal with that," Maya teased him._

 _"You're so lucky that I-"_

 _"Hey, mind if I interrupt?"_

 _"The hat's just for me, isn't it, Ranger Rick?" Maya asked with an amused smile on her face, releasing her grip on Josh as she turned towards her friend._

 _"It actually is, but not for our game. It's actually because I'm using it to hide a present for a certain that blonde who's about to head off to her coronation as my queen," Lucas explained, acting as though he were completely innocent and had been caught in the act._

 _"A present?" Maya grinned, her smile widening even more._

 _Lucas nodded, with wide, innocent eyes as he reached up and removed his hat, pulling out a tiny, velvet box and handing it over to her._

 _"What's this?" Maya frowned._

 _"Well, a king and a queen can't be coroneted if they aren't married. So, I figured I'd get you a ring," he teased her as she opened the box and pulled out a diamond-decaled, crown shaped ring._

 _"Oh my god," Maya gasped. "This is gorgeous!" She squealed as she slid it onto her right ring finger. "Perfect fit!" She exclaimed._

 _And then she leaned in close to his face and "ha-hurred" loudly, causing Lucas to just shake his head and laugh at her antics, looking at her as though he were the most adorable girl in the entire world. And, if anybody ever asked Josh, he would vouch that she was. It was the one thing that he and Lucas would probably ever agree on, after all._

* * *

" _For the Freshman class: Princess Maya Hart, escorted by Prince Lucas Friar!" the DJ shouted into the microphone, announcing the blonde pair._

 _Maya hooked her arm through Lucas, too overcome by her own happiness to insult the boy, and followed his lead through the maze that had been set up by student council for the members of court. They paused at the center for pictures, before taking a few more steps forward and then turning to head off towards the left, standing in front of the scenes that had been set up for the court to walk around and pose in._

 _After the other three grades had had their own members announced, a slow song began to play and Lucas removed his arm from Maya, bowing slightly as he held his hand out to her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him as she took his hand, allowing him to guide it towards his shoulders._

 _She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her in close to him._

 _"This isn't too awkward, is it?" Lucas wondered, leaning in close to her to whisper right into her ear._

 _A shiver ran down her spine at the heat from his voice hitting her skin and the proximity of his lips to her. She gulped, trying to compose herself before she even attempted at an answer._

 _"Nah," She shook her head, but stopped after a second when she realized that the silver crown that had been placed on her head, stuck in the blonde curls that had been pulled up into a low knot, could be at risk from the sudden movement. "But, I have to say-I much prefer the cowboy hat to that silly crown," She teased._

 _"I thought you might say that," he nodded, reaching up and pulling off the crown, tossing it aside. Then, he easily caught the cowboy hat that was tossed back towards him. He placed it on his head and smirked at her. "Better?"_

 _"You really shouldn't be doing all this for me," Maya sighed._

 _"I'm just trying to make your night special, after Josh bailed," Lucas said innocently._

 _"He's jealous," Maya shrugged. "He doesn't understand that there's no reason for him to be jealous. It's just one dance together, and then you're heading back over to your girlfriend. And I'd be right back in his arms and everything would be back to being exactly how it has to be," Maya insisted._

 _"Now, I just have one question about that," Lucas said, nodding his head as though he agreed with what she was saying, but leaning in closer to her, to whisper directly in her ear. "Are you trying to convince me about all of that, or are you trying to convince yourself that you actually believe it?" He pulled away from her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he smirked down at her._


	35. Shake It Off

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A GMW Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 35: Shake It Off**

 _ **A/N: Sorry it's been so long guys. Life is hectic at the end of summer for college students and I head back to school in a week, so it's absolutely crazy for me. But, I digress-I'll try to be better about updating for you guys because you really are the best readers in the world and you're all so sweet not to make me feel bad when I take longer than usual for my updates. Thanks for understanding that I have a life beyond writing these stories and respecting that. And I hope that this update was well worth the wait!**_

 _ **A/N2: I did something a little different for this chapter, just to help lead up to the nominations without giving you guys a series of pointless filler chapters when you already waited long enough for an update.**_

* * *

 _ **Tuesday:**_

"Lucas!"

Missy Bradford stalked over towards Lucas in the crowded hallways that morning with her hips swaying and her bright yellow and navy blue pleated skirt sashaying with every step that she took. A cropped, sleeveless, mock neck sweater in a bright shade of white hugged her chest and matched her knee socks to perfection. With her high heeled, navy blue Mary Jane's and matching velvet headband, she seemed like the epitome of the innocent school girl.

But, just like the stereotypical porn star playing the high school good girl, she was full of a sinister wickedness that would lead a hormonal, slightly horny teenage boy down a dark, downward spiral. Which was why Lucas knew that he was in for trouble as soon as his name left her glossy, heart shaped lips.

He knew that he should turn around and walk away in the opposite direction. He should high tail it out of there and act like he hadn't heard her eagerly calling out to him with her mischievous grin threatening to take over her entire face.

Unfortunately, Lucas was raised as a southern gentleman and he couldn't just walk away from somebody who was trying to talk to him. Especially when it was a girl, because they may need his help and he had been raised to always help those in need. His mother had wanted to ensure that he was a good guy and that he never hurt other people, so he tended to be overly polite and that often resulted in trouble for him.

Especially when it came to Missy. Every time he attempted to let her into his life, thinking that maybe she had changed her ways and was trying to be a better person, she let him down. She never failed to prove him wrong and he actually hated her for that, because it drove him crazy. How many times could she expect him to fall for the same tricks, over and over again? And how many times was he going to allow her to do it?

Not only was she making him look like an idiot, but he was allowing her to make him look like an idiot. He was allowing her to humiliate him and play him. And that angered him more than anything else.

"Lucas, hi!"

She was at his locker, leaning against the metal frame besides his open locker with a flirtatious smile directed right at him with sultry eyes that would turn on any guy at school. Any guy except for Lucas, that is, because there was only one girl at Abigail Adams who turned him on and that was Maya Hart, the tiny little blonde bombshell who drove him absolutely insane but brightened up his entire day without any effort at all.

"Missy, hey," Lucas said, forcing himself to sound upbeat as he continued to search through his locker, even though he had all of his books already, so that he didn't have to face her and actually acknowledge her existence.

" _So,"_ Missy started, in a breathless manner that told him that she was about to start some long-winded story that was going to make him late for first period. "I heard from a few of my friends that Maya wasn't planning on campaigning for queen this year even if she got nominated because she doesn't want to win," she started, her voice full of innocence that Lucas knew was fake just from how overly sincere it sounded.

"Yeah? Who'd you hear that from?" Lucas snorted.

"Some of the girls on the cheerleading team. But that's not important," Missy said dismissively. "What is important is that that means that _you_ don't have anybody to campaign with, so I just wanted to let you know that my offer from yesterday is still _totally_ on the table, if you were planning on trying to win this year. Because everybody knows that you're a total shoo-in for the crown!"

"If Maya doesn't win, I don't have any interest in winning," Lucas said honestly.

And he meant that. The title was meaningless without Maya, after all. What good was being a king if he didn't love his queen? If he didn't want to spend any time with her, how was he supposed to actually enjoy his night and celebrate his victory? Besides, the winners for each grade were on student council together for the rest of the year and had to help plan all of the other dances and the Homecoming dance for the next year. He wasn't going to want to work with Missy on any of that stuff for an entire year.

He didn't even want to work on it all. The only thing that was bearable was having Maya there to toss out ridiculous suggestions, ridicule those who seriously tried to plan horrible events, and to make sure that every single decoration and poster was perfectly manufactured with her artistic abilities and her connections with the art club and fellow art students. And, of course, the silly faces that she made at him from across the room at every single meeting whenever things started to get out of hand and seem to take too long.

Adding Missy into the equation was going to make the entire ordeal far more brutal than it had to be and there was no way that he was going to deal with that.

"So you're just going to reject it?" Missy asked in disbelief.

"I only want to win with Maya. My _girlfriend,"_ he emphasized the word. "Besides, whatever you heard about the whole thing? Its wrong. We're already planning on our campaign strategy," Lucas shrugged, slamming his locker shut and ready for the conversation to end.

"What?" Missy froze, eyes wide and the panic evident in her face.

"Yeah, she came up with posters last night and we all planned out our different tactics and the girls are spending the weekend baking cookies and cupcakes and making up gift bags and everything. She's all excited about it," Lucas explained, smirking as he lifted his bag up onto his shoulder.

"Maya Hart is going to campaign to win Homecoming Queen?" Missy gasped.

"Yup," Lucas nodded, popping the "p" on the single syllable.

"Well," Missy said, finally able to regain her composure enough to plaster on a fake smile. "I wish you both the _very_ best of luck," she said through clenched teeth before twirling around on her heel and stalking off, hands balled up into tight fists.

Lucas shook his head, turning around and heading off towards his own class. He was chuckling under his breathe at Missy's reaction, loving the way he had managed to handle the situation without allowing her to get the best of him. For once, he hadn't come out looking like an idiot who thought that the brunette could have changed her ways and decided to take over a new leaf.

And he couldn't wait to tell Maya all about it, knowing the fun that she would have with the entire situation. If she hadn't already admitted to wanting the crown and agreed to campaign with Lucas, this would have been just what he had needed to get her to come around about the situation. Because if there was one thing that always got Maya going, it was a competition against her moral enemy. And Missy Bradford was definitely her sworn enemy.

* * *

 _ **Wednesday:**_

Maya walked into practice that afternoon in a royal blue sports bra with LOOK LIKE A BEAUTY TRAIN LIKE A BEAST printed in skinny, white cursive font and royal blue spandex shorts with a sparkly blue, oversized hair bow twisted into her oversized ponytail. Confidence from her relationship with Lucas and her friend's actions to help secure her a future victory for Homecoming radiated from her pores.

And then she heard the whispers.

"I mean, she stole her best friend's boyfriend! And she's planning on campaigning for queen with him? After what happened last year?" Samantha Charles rolled her eyes as she leaned forward, lying flat on the floor with her legs spread out in a straddle in front of her.

"It's like she's _trying_ to rub it in Riley's face or something," Olivia Jenkins agreed with a shake of her head before she reached for her ankles, bending straight in half.

Maya froze, her smile collapsing as she took in the harsh words from her teammates. She had figured that some people wouldn't approve of her relationship with Lucas, granted everything that had happened involving Riley, Maya and Lucas, but she hadn't thought it would be this horrible. Especially coming from people who had been around during The Triangle mess and who had thought that _Riley_ had been the one in the wrong, for refusing to choose her best friend over a boy.

Of course, maybe she should have expected things like that to come from girls like Jenkins and Samantha. They had always been bitter towards Maya, after all. And they had never tried to hide their attraction towards Lucas. Besides, they were the types of mean girls that were seen in movies. Preying on the undeserving and often times humiliating themselves as they went after those who were higher on the social hierarchy than they were themselves.

But, it still hurt.

She had herds rumors about herself and negative comments for years. But, it didn't change the fact that it hurt whenever she heard them. Nothing would ever take away that harsh sting, because no matter what people said about words never being able to hurt… they did. Words had the power to break a soul, after all.

"Seriously, and how arrogant can she be? Just expecting to get a nomination?" Samantha went on, leaning over towards her right ankle.

"I _know!"_ Jenkins gasped, pulling her ankles in and folding over in the butterfly stretch.

"Don't listen to that," Ashleigh said, shocking Maya as she approached her from behind, with a reassuring hand placed on her shoulder.

"Seriously, they're so wrong," Melody rolled her eyes, staring at the girls in disdain.

"Yeah, but…well, I _did_ sort of steal my best friend's boyfriend and I _am_ just assuming that I'm going to get nominated," Maya whispered, lowering her head.

"Maya, do you think that _we're_ arrogant?" Melody wondered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because we _always_ assume that we're going to get nominated and we _always_ get nominated," Ashleigh pointed out, reaching for her ankle to stretch out her hamstring.

"You do?" Maya asked, spreading out her legs to stretch out her instep, with her arms lying flat on the ground in front of her, back arched.

"Of course we do," Melody replied, dropping down onto her butt to start stretching out her muscles. "Maya, when you're one of the most popular girls in school, there are certain things that are just assumed. Never needing to worry about finding a date to a dance is one of those things. Knowing exactly where every party is located is another. And being nominated for Homecoming court is always a guarantee. It's not arrogant to know that. It's bitterness to think that it is," she explained.

"And you didn't steal Lucas away from Riley. He came running," Ashleigh snickered.

Neither of the older girls really liked Riley, believing that she was a bad friend for Maya to have. They thought that the brunette was full of jealousy for her best friend and they believed that that made their friendship unhealthy.

They had a point, but they also didn't realize how special what Maya and Riley had was. All they saw were the freak outs that Riley had over every single one of Maya's successes. They saw the bitterness in her eyes that Maya was blind to and the heartbreak in her face that Maya chose to remain ignorant too.

"Okay, that was bitchy," Melody said, shooting her best friend a pointed look. "But, it's sort of true. Lucas wanted _you_ from the beginning and he didn't want to settle or try to get over you anymore. And he didn't want to use Riley anymore. And you tried your hardest to send him away because of Riley's feelings. You didn't steal him," she promised.

"I just…I'm so sick of people always telling me all of this shit about how awful I am," Maya groaned, sliding all the way onto her butt in defeat.

"You don't want people saying negative things about you?" Melody smirked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Of course I don't!"

"Well, there's one easy way to handle that," Ashleigh shrugged her shoulders, rising to her full height and cupping her hands around her mouth. "HUDDLE UP!"

The team came running over, dropping down to their knees as they waited for their captain to give them their next round of orders. Jenkins and Samantha were in the back, still whispering and giggling with one another as they stared at Maya, making it clear that they were talking about her and laughing at her expense.

"We're a team. That means that we're supposed to be like a family. And a family can't function properly if we're going to talk about other people on the team, especially in a negative matter. Unfortunately, we've been hearing some awful things being said about one of our teammates by some of our other teammates. So, here's a new rule," Ashleigh said, her voice ringing with confidence.

"From now on-if you talk about somebody on this team, you get a warning. If you do it again, you run laps," Melody explained, popping up to her feet as well and joining in on her co-captain.

"For example-Jenkens and Samantha, if you two are going to sit around and talk about Maya, who just so happens to be your future captain, you get a warning. So, consider yourselves warned," Ashleigh shrugged.

"You're only doing this because she's your little pet!" Jenkins snapped, jumping to her feet and glaring at the older captains. "If anybody else was talking about anybody else on this team, you wouldn't give two shits!"

"Anybody else feel that way?" Melody rolled her eyes.

"I do!" Samantha said, jumping to her own feet and standing at her best friend's side.

"Anybody else?" Ashleigh asked, placing her hands on her hips and looking around at the rest of the team with raised eyebrows, waiting for somebody to dare say anything.

"No takers?" Melody gasped.

"They're all too afraid of you! All that you do is run around making sure that everything's perfect for Maya to take over the team so that you guys can still have your power next year after you graduate, because you know that these are the best years of your worthless lives!" Samantha protested, stomping her foot.

"Apparently these two wanna run some laps," Melody shrugged.

"A mile sound good?" Ashleigh wondered, raising an eyebrow up at the rest of the team.

"Yeah," Laurie Stephens spoke up, rolling her jade-green eyes.

"Definitely a good idea," Amanda Evans giggled, tightening her glossy, pin-straight, jet black ponytail.

Slowly, the rest of the team began to voice their approval, all having been insulted by the harsh words from Jenkins and Samantha at one point or another during their time on the team. And all that the agreement did was anger Jenkins and Samantha that much more.

"Are you serious?" Jenkins whined.

"All of this because we spoke our opinions about Princess Maya?" Samantha snapped.

"Why does everybody always cater to her?"

"Hey, Ashleigh? What happens if you get a third strike?" Jasmine Jones asked, shooting her long arm up into the air and wiggling her long, piano player's fingers to get attention.

"Three strikes and you're _out,"_ Ashleigh said, eyes locked on Jenkins and Samantha with a confident smirk.

"What?" Jenkins gasped.

"You're kicking us off the team?" Samantha asked. "What are you going to do without us? There's a game on _Friday_ and Homecoming is in three weeks," she rolled her eyes.

"Mel, can you do me a favor and call up Brianna Olsen and Courtney Pierce?" Ashleigh asked. "Tell them to get here as soon as possible if they still want a place on the team," she smirked, eyes crossed over her chest.

"Are you serious? You're going to use _alternates?"_ Jenkins made a face.

"Anybody besides these two have a problem with that?" Melody sighed.

"Let's vote, okay? Everybody in favor of getting on with practice today and bringing on two alternates that respect the team, raise your hand," Ashleigh said, throwing her hands up in the air to show her frustration with the situation.

Everybody on the team threw their hands in the air, some throwing their heads back and shouting out their agreement with their captain's proposition. Jenkins and Samantha just stomped their feet, releasing a shriek that sounded like death, before storming off on their way back towards the locker room to gather up their things.

"You can return your uniforms tomorrow morning," Margaret Evans, their cheerleading coach, called after the two freshly dismissed girls as they walked by. "And the rest of you-start your warm up and then figure out what changes we need to make to this routine. I'll call in the alternates," she beamed at the girls, showing her pride in how they had bonded together to defend one another.

* * *

 _ **Thursday:**_

"Maya, can you at least give me some sort of explanation behind this whole thing?" Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stood at her locker, leaning against the one besides her with concern flooding his eyes.

"What kind of explanation do you need?" Maya rolled her eyes, slamming her locker shut and turning around to face her boyfriend. "I just changed my mind," she shrugged.

"You changed your mind? You don't care about homecoming anymore? Despite the fact that you have your crown from last year sitting on a shelf in your room with the locket Shawn got you when you first met him. With a picture from your parents wedding. With the certificate from the first art competition you ever won. But I'm supposed to assume that you just changed your mind?" Lucas asked, eyes wide as his voice started to raise.

"Yeah, Lucas, I changed my mind and I expect you, as my _boyfriend_ to just accept that and trust me, rather than accusing me of lying to you!" Maya snapped, stalking off towards her homeroom.

"You didn't mention this yesterday. We were sitting at dinner talking to my mom about our plans for the campaign! Where did this come from?" Lucas asked, taking quick, hurried strides to keep up with her.

"Will you end it? I just don't want to campaign for queen. It's just some stupid popularity contest," Maya pointed out.

"Are you kidding me? Maya, have you been talking to Josh about this or something, because this doesn't sound like you at all," he insisted.

"Lucas, I don't want to be the queen. Please just accept that," Maya sighed.

"There's nothing else going on? You just changed your mind?" Lucas asked, running a hand through his hair as he walked with her, side by side. "There's nothing that I should be worried about?"

"I just changed my mind," Maya whispered. "I promise you. Everything is okay," she reached out, taking his hand in her own and flashing him a reassuring smile as she gave his large hand a tight squeeze with her small, soft hand.

"We can still go to the dance together?" Lucas asked, flashing her a crooked grin. "I'll match my tie to your dress and show up with flowers and we'll ride in the limo Farkle's dad is gonna get us and we'll dance together and we'll take cute pictures together?"

"Of course," Maya laughed. "I'm not going to ditch my boyfriend completely. And I promise that us not being king and queen again isn't going to ruin our future plans of being the power couple of the world," she rolled her eyes, leaning into him as they walked.

"I'm not worried about that," Lucas rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he stared down at the adorable blonde clinging to his hand. "As long as I've got you, everything that I've ever had planned for my future is perfect. And when you and I are together, we're definitely the power couple of the world," he assured her.

"You are _such_ a goofball," Maya replied.

"But I'm _your_ goofball, right?"

"Of course you are-and I don't plan on letting that change anytime soon," she told him as she flashed a wide grin at him, reassuring Lucas that everything was okay between him and the girl of his dreams.

* * *

 _ **Friday:**_

"Alright!" Mr. Matthews's voice rang through the loud speaker during the last period class of that Friday. "It's time to announce the nominees for this year's Homecoming Court! For the freshman class, we have Arianna Matthews, Kelsey Barnes, Nicolette Streisand, Robert Collins, Aaron Bennett, and Brandon Trevor. Congratulations to the lucky six members of the ninth grade!"

He sounded far more cheerful announcing the freshman nominees than he had the year before, when he had freaked out at having seen Maya and Riley's names side by side on the list with Missy Bradford's name after Riley's own. But, that same tense voice came again when he started to read the tenth grade nominees, telling the Six Clique that either Maya or Riley had made it through to the next round, if not both of them.

"And for the tenth grade nominations, we have Missy Bradford, Maya Hart and Isadora Smackle. For the boys, we have Issaiah Babineaux, Billy Ross and Lucas Friar!"

Maya stopped listening after that. She couldn't hear anything else, because all she could hear was that she had made the nominations and she was once again going to be put on the block. The rumors and the gossip weren't going to end.

Girls like Jenkins and Samantha were going to continue to say negative, horrible things about her and they weren't going to care about whether or not Maya was able to hear them. And she would have to hear about how she had stolen Riley's title, along with her boyfriend, because she was on the nomination list, but Riley was not.

And if she beat Smackle, it would mean constant ridicule about how she had stolen this opportunity from Smackle.

The insults and the mean whispers were never going to stop. They were just going to get worse. And she wasn't sure that she was ready to deal with things like that. She definitely wasn't prepared for things to get even worse for her.

But, as the list of nominations came to a close and their teacher finished up assigning their homework for the day, Maya found herself thinking about something a little bit different than the bullying that was sure to come her way. Instead, as the dismissal bell rang, she shot up out of her chair and out of the classroom, racing towards her locker, where she always met Lucas after their classes for the day were over.

Lucas was waiting for her, leaning against her locker with his arms crossed over his chest, an amused smile on his face.

"Huckleberry!" She shrieked, throwing her arms around his neck and leaping into his arms as he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her right off of the ground and pulling her close to him, spinning her around.

He set her back on the ground, pressing his lips firmly against her own as he tugged on her hips, pulling her closer against him. When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead up against hers and smile down at her, his dark green eyes locked on her sparkling blue ones.

"Am I still supposed to believe that you changed your mind about this whole campaign thing?" he teased her.

"Is it too late to change my mind back?" She giggled.

"I never took you all that seriously about not wanting to campaign, anyways," he whispered, stepping back from her and slapping her on the ass, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Ranger Rick!" Maya gasped, making her way over towards her locker, twisting in the combination and pulling it open, to gather all of her books for the weekend.

"What?" He asked, holding his hands up with an innocent expression on his face.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today," she told him with a sly smile.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Lucas asked her, wrapping her back in his arms as she slammed her locker shut and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"I'm going dress shopping with the girls!" Maya shrieked.

"So we can't do anything?"

"No! It's girl time and campaign planning," Maya told him firmly. "So, you're just gonna have to enjoy your time with me tonight," she teased.

"But…Maya, we had plans for tomorrow, remember?" Lucas whispered, leaning down so that his mouth was directly besides her ear.

"Homecoming is more important," Maya insisted.

"More important than our relationship?" Lucas frowned.

"It's one night," Maya shook her head. "We have the rest of our lives together."

"Maya," Lucas sighed, pulling his arm away from her and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I had…I've been putting a lot of effort into making tomorrow night really special for you, and now you're just cancelling on me because of Homecoming?"

"Are you seriously getting mad at me because I don't want to have sex with you?" Maya gasped, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

She whirled around, facing him full on and glaring up at him with a harsh fire behind her denim blue eyes. Her mouth was curled into an angry scowl and her hands were curled up into tight fists at her side.

"Is that what you think?" Lucas gasped.

"I think that you're getting mad because I'm cancelling on you when we had plans to hook up, just because I'm busy trying to campaign for us to win, because I know how much winning means to you," Maya snapped.

"Maya, you told me yesterday that you didn't care about this whole Homecoming thing and now you're cancelling on plans for what was supposed to be a special night for us so that you can try to help us win something that you called a popularity contest just the other day," Lucas pointed out.

"I don't get why we can't reschedule," Maya hissed.

"Because I had this romantic evening planned. I had candles and I made us reservations at this expensive, fancy restaurant. I got your favorite chocolate covered strawberries and I was trying to make it _perfect_ for you and you're acting like it wasn't even a big deal," Lucas said, his expression breaking as the saddest took over.

The pain and heartbreak that he was feeling were now evident in his face and Maya hated that she was the reason that he looked that way.

"You..you had all that planned out for me?" Maya whispered.

"Of course I did," Lucas chuckled.

"Okay…well, how about this-I go shopping with the girls in the morning and you let me know what time you want to do dinner and I'll be ready for you to pick me up half an hour before that. And Sunday we'll go get breakfast together before we meet up with everybody for some more campaign planning?" she asked, reaching out and taking both of his hands in her own, squeezing them tightly as she looked up at him with loving, compassionate eyes. The sparkle was back to her stunning blue eyes.

"You sure you can make time for me in your busy campaign schedule?" Lucas teased, releasing one of her hands and starting to walk down the hallway, swinging their hands together with every stride.

"Oh, shut up," Maya snickered. "What time do you want me ready for dinner tomorrow night?" She asked.

"I'll pick you up at five. Reservation's for five thirty," he grinned at her, squeezing her hand again.

"And how fancy are we talking?" She wondered.

"Like, as fancy as the place that Shawn took you for your birthday last year," Lucas told her, staring at her with wide eyes.

"I _loved_ that restaurant!" Maya sighed, leaning against Lucas.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, because it would be a waste of my money if you didn't," Lucas said seriously.

"You're taking me there? You got us reservations at Sardi's?" Maya asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet as they walked together, making their way towards Lucas's truck to head over to Riley's for their usual Friday night plans.

"You love it there," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm going to take you there for our big night," he assured her.

"You're the best boyfriend ever and I'm sorry that I almost ruined it," she told him in her adorable, little kid voice that he never failed to melt over hearing.

"Knock it off," Lucas said, kissing her cheek as they crossed the crowded parking lot. "You know I can never stay mad at you anyways," he reminded her.

"I know!"


	36. Riley's Epic Plan

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A GMW Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 36: Riley's Epic Plan **

_**A/N: Hi! So, this chapter was half planned out and half spontaneous. Let me know what you all think? I love getting your reviews. And be prepared for pretty spread out review for the next week, because I move back into my dorm in just under a week so until then, I'll be busy with last minute errands and packing. But, I'll try to work on all of my stories as much as possible in the meantime.**_

* * *

"Shopping!" Smackle cheered, hooking her arms through Maya and Riley's own as the led her two best friends through the noisy, crowded mall. "I'm so excited for this!"

"Isadora _Smackle_ is excited to go _shopping?"_ Maya laughed, raising her eyebrows as she walked with her friends.

"Isadora Smackle, the feminist extraordinaire is actually excited to be nominated for Homecoming court," Riley pointed out, smirking at the other two with a devious look on her face.

The other two girls had been cautious when it came to discussing the topic of their nominations, neither one wanting to hurt Riley's feelings. After all, homecoming was a thing that mattered to girls like Riley and it was something that mattered a lot. Having her two best friends nominated and lacking a nomination for herself had to hurt her.

But, as soon as the gang had settled into Riley's room the previous night for their pre-game ritual, she had started to babble on about how excited she was for her two best friends to be nominated.

She had asked Smackle if they should start planning a dual-campaign. The glossy haired nerd had refused, because she had believed that Maya stood a far better chance of winning anyways, but the offer had meant the world to Smackle and it had told the rest of the group that they were fine talking about the nominations in front of Riley and Farkle.

Of course, it was obvious that Smackle's slowly growing relationship with Zay was a large part of the reason behind her nomination. And Riley's strange and confusing relationship with Farkle, no matter how short lived it was, was a large part of the reason for her lack of a nomination.

Besides, as Riley had stated, it was better for her to stay under the radar, so that she didn't have to deal with the attention. Because Riley wanted to avoid attention for as long as possible, so that she could work her hardest at keeping her secret from the rest of the school. Because she definitely wasn't ready to come out of the closet yet to anybody other than her closest friends and family.

"I'm just excited to finally feel like I'm a part of something," she shrugged her shoulders.

"You've been a part of our group ever since the eighth grade," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Because I was dating Farkle," Smackle pointed out.

"That's not true," Riley said.

"You guys wouldn't have given me any sort of attention if I wasn't dating Farkle. You knew who I was from before seventh grade and until Farkle started to give me attention, you guys didn't give me an ounce of it," Smackle stated.

There was no bitterness in her tone. She was just stating the facts. And she didn't think that there was anything wrong with that. She just thought that that was the truth, and she wasn't going to let people try to say that things were different from how they really were. Because Smackle was a woman of science and that meant that she was a woman of facts.

"We're your friends, Smackle. It doesn't matter how we met. From here on out, we're your friends and it doesn't really matter who you're dating, because we're always going to be your friends," Maya stated firmly.

"I know," Smackle smiled. "But, sometimes it's just nice to be reminded that I have two of the best friends in the entire world. It keeps me grateful, remembering how lucky I am to have you both."

"We're the lucky ones, Smackle," Maya insisted, resting her head on Smackle's shoulder as they walked.

"Best friends forever-it doesn't matter what happens. The three of us are always sticking together," Riley affirmed, flashing the cheerful smile that the other two girls had come to find so much comfort in over the years of their developing friendship.

* * *

"So, should I be looking for anything specific in my dress since I'm on court?" Smackle wondered as the girls riffled through racks in their favorite store.

"Try to go with something that has silver in it, in case you win. It'll match the crown," Maya explained as she started to stack dresses on her arms.

"Besides that, it really classes up any dress," Riley said, peering out from around a rack of sparkly dresses. "And if we all get something will silver in it we can all kind of match, without looking like we planned it or anything!"

"I still can't believe I was actually nominated," Smackle said, shaking her head as she toyed with the hem of a dress hanging on the end of the rack.

"Why do you find that so hard to believe? You're gorgeous and you're talking to Zay," Maya rolled her eyes.

"But girls like _you_ or _Missy_ or _Riley_ are supposed to be nominated. Not girls like me," Smackle shrugged, letting go of the dress. "Not nerdy, know-it-all, four-eyed freaks. Girls like me don't get nominated for stuff like this," she sighed.

"Shut up and go put on this dress," Maya ordered, holding out a gorgeous yet simple dress. "Try the dress on and then look in the mirror and try to tell me that you aren't the type of girl who should be nominated for Homecoming Court," she instructed.

"I don't really get what that's supposed to prove," Smackle sighed, accepting the dress.

"It's just an experiment," Riley said cheerfully, dancing her way over to her friends with a stack of dresses piled impossibly high on her arm.

"How is this an experiment? There don't seem to be an variables or-"

" _Smackle!"_ Maya laughed. "Get your perky little ass into the fitting room and into that dress before we _make_ you do it!'

"I don't get what-"

"Alright, come on," Riley rolled her eyes, dropping her pile of dresses down onto a chair pressed up against the wall near her and hooking her arm through Smackle's and pulling her towards the fitting room.

Maya shook her head, giggling at her friends' antics as she continued looking through the racks, adding to the pile on her arm until it felt like the weight of the dresses was overbearing. And then she spotted the perfect dress, which caused her to immediately shove the other dresses back onto the rack and hurrying towards the fitting room.

She got there just as Smackle was being pushed out of the room by Riley, wearing the dress that Maya had selected for her.

It fit her like a glove. With a form fitting bodice, high swoop neck and a flowing, simple skirt, it was just enough to accent Smackle's features. The bodice was decorated with an elaborate silver design and the neckline was studded with silver, appearing like an elegant, collar necklace and her thin waist was lined with the same silver accents. The dress was a deep shade of dark purple and it would look perfect with a pair of strappy silver heels and a silver clutch. Maya could already picture Smackle's hair curled and pulled back, left down but away from her face, with diamond, drop earrings barely seen beneath her glossy, dark locks. A stack of silver bangles would be the perfect finishing touch.

"Look in the mirror and try to tell me that you don't belong on Homecoming Court," Maya smirked, entering the fitting room Smackle had just ended and dropping Riley's former pile of clothes onto the floor at her feet.

"You've only got one dress?" Riley asked as Maya pulled the door shut behind her, leaving Smackle to admire her reflection.

"It's the _perfect_ dress," Maya replied as she tugged off the black, razor back tank top she was wearing.

"How can you possibly know that if you only try on one dress?" Riley rolled her eyes, yanking off her red, swoop neck tee shirt.

"Did I find the perfect dress for Smackle in just one shot?" Maya challenged, shimmying out of her light denim shorts.

"How do you _do_ that?" Riley whined, kicking off her dark wash, cuffed shorts.

"Put on that yellow dress, okay? That's the one," Maya replied, pulling on her own dress and dipping out of the room, ready to admire herself in the three-way mirror.

"Holy shit, Maya-you seriously look like royalty. All you're missing is your crown," Smackle admired as Maya approached her.

The brunette stepped aside, allowing Maya to stand on the pedestal in front of the mirror so that she could get the best angle of her reflection with the best lighting.

She had been right. The dress was absolutely perfect. It was a deep, bright shade of red and had a high neckline with a thick lace coating surrounding her neck. A sheer material showed off her ample cleavage. The bodice of the dress had silver threads woven into, creating a textured pattern and the skirt flowed out in a cross between a ballerina's dress and a figure skater's costume, skirting out around her legs and leaving the majority of them bare.

It was going to be perfect, with a pair of feathered, silver earrings and a sparkly silver clutch. Silver, pointed toe heels would be the finishing touch. She would take her curls and just pin them up, keeping them in a low bun at the nape of her neck, allowing for a crown without messing up the style.

"How do you _do_ it?" Riley admired as she stepped out of the fitting room, drawing Maya's attention onto her.

She turned away from the mirror and admired her best friend. Before leaving the fitting room, Riley had pulled her hair into a half-bun-half-ponytail, making it appear shorter than it was. If her hair had been curled, it would have been the perfect style for her dress.

The dress fit her like a glove and the shade of bright yellow matched her bubbly personality. The neckline was sheer with cap sleeves. The bodice was lined with silver teardrops at the top and the waistline was emphasized with the same decorations. From the waist down, the skirt began to flow out around her legs. It matched Riley's typical styles of dresses, but with a more formal edge to it.

With a pair of super strappy, silver heels and chandelier earrings as well as a silver clutch with just the slightest amount of sparkle, it would be perfect.

"That was so much easier than I imagined it being after last year," Smackle observed as she glanced between her friends and her own reflection with a content smile on her face.

"Well, let's go buy these dresses and then get some accessories. Then, we'll get some sushi and head home?" Maya grinned.

"And get you all dolled up for your date at Sardi's with Lucas tonight?" Riley teased as the girls made their way back towards the fitting room.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Maya rolled her eyes.

"You're bailing on girl's night to hang out with your boyfriend," Smackle pouted as she closed the fitting room door behind her.

"Why don't you and Zay do something?" Riley wondered as she slipped out of her dress. "I have a ton of homework to catch up on anyways. Spanish is kicking my ass," she shrugged as she hung the dress back up on it's hanger.

"We're not exclusive," Smackle shrugged, squirming out of her own dress.

"What's that mean?" Maya wondered, hanging up her own dress. "I thought you guys were talking?" She pulled her tank top back on.

"Yeah, well, he's also talking to Larissa Jacobs," Smackle rolled her eyes.

"Freshman cheerleader Larissa Jacobs?" Maya gasped as she pulled her shorts back on.

"The tiny little red head with the killer curves and the bad attitude? She'll eat Zay alive," Riley snorted as she put her street clothes back on.

"That's not the point," Maya rolled her eyes, slipping back on her black flip flips. "The point is that he's going on a date with some other bimbo instead of being loyal to our Smackle!"

"It's not a big deal…I would have stayed with Farkle if he wasn't in love with Riley," Smackle shrugged, slipping into her grey and white checkered print, high waisted shorts.

"I still feel bad about that," Riley flushed.

"You can't control Farkle's feelings," Smackle rolled her eyes, pulling on her grey, cropped, cap sleeve top.

"Wait, so you're _not_ into Zay?" Maya frowned.

"Zay's cute and he's super sweet and he's really funny, but nothing is going to change the fact that he's been in love with Maya since the day he met her," Smackle rolled her eyes, leaning over to tie her Converse.

"What?" Maya laughed uncomfortably, shocked by what her friend had just said. "What are you talking about? Zay isn't in love with me," she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, he is," Riley snorted, slipping into her black and white stripped flats.

"What makes you two so sure about that?" Maya furrowed her eyebrows together.

"He was going to tell you _so_ many times. Seriously, how did you _not_ know that he was in love with you?" Riley shrugged.

"When did he ever try to tell me that?" Maya wondered, grabbing her dress and turning around, ready to leave the fitting room.

"I knew that Farkle, Lucas and Josh were blind to his crush, but you're an expert at figuring out how people feel. How'd you miss Zay's obvious love for you?" Riley rolled her eyes, grabbing her own dress and following after the blonde.

"He's never gonna act on it, Maya," Smackle explained, taking her dress to follow after her friends. "He would never do that to Lucas and he knows that you're in love with Lucas anyways. So, he's going to pull a Maya and try to get over you by throwing himself into other relationships," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Pull a _Maya?"_ Maya shrieked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're obviously in love with somebody but you give them up for the happiness of others, and then try to get over them by throwing yourself whole heartedly into your next relationship," Riley explained.

"How long has this been a thing?"

"Since Riley and Lucas got together," Smackle replied.

"How have I never heard you guys use that before?"

"Because we were always careful not to say it in front of you, because we knew that you'd get pissed off," Smackle shrugged as she followed Maya towards the shoe department of the store.

"Well, it's sort of insulting," Maya muttered.

"Get over it," Riley rolled her eyes. "You guys say that somebody's taking a trip to Rileytown every time they're overly happy and choose to ignore the bad things happening in the world, don't you?" She accused.

"Alright, fair enough," Maya said, unable to fight the grin that begin to spread across her pouty lips. "But next time you guys coin a catchphrase with my name, could you inform me about it?"

"Yeah," Riley shrugged.

"I guess that's fair," Smackle agreed.

"That's all I ask."

* * *

"How do I look?" Maya asked, throwing her hands in the air and striking a pose for her friends.

Everybody was settled into Maya's bedroom and she had just emerged from her giant, walk-in closet to show everybody the finished product. Smackle and Riley had picked out hairstyles for Maya to choose from and given her three outfit choices for the evening, but they had no idea what Maya had chosen for herself.

This was the big reveal and Maya couldn't have imagined it going any better.

Her hair had been straightened to perfection, falling down to her hips and appearing just a little bit longer than it usually did. She was dressed in a black, asymmetrical hem tulip skirt that showed off her long legs and emphasized her curves. A sliver of her toned stomach was revealed due to her pale pink, ribbed, sleeveless turtleneck crop top that hugged her chest just enough.

She was wearing a pair of matching, lace-up, pointed toe heels with a Pandora-box styled purse in the same color. Each wrist was wrapped up in a rose-gold cuff bracelet, each with a different design to it. Feather drop earrings in that same color peaked out from beneath her long, bright blonde locks.

A dark, smoky eye elaborately lined with black, winged eyeliner finished her look and she wore a pale pink lipstick. She had a pair of cat-eye sunglasses tossed into her purse with her rose gold iPhone 6S wrapped in it's cut-out case and she had thrown her black leather jacket over her shoulder as she struck her run-way ready pose, with one leg out in front of her and her hip jutted out.

"Smoking!" Riley exclaimed, immediately grabbing her silver iPhone six plus so that she could snap a picture. "Give me a little more attitude with your pose!"

Maya giggled, turning around and looking at her friends from over her shoulder, with one hand on her hip and the other one bent behind her head, the accessories in her hands thrown aside as she pursed her lips and winked at the brunette's sitting on her bed, staring at her in awe.

"Lucas is going to lose his shit when he sees you," Smackle nodded her head in approval. "Seriously, he's going to want to skip the date and fuck the shit out of you instead."

"Have you guys done that yet?" Riley asked, throwing her phone aside and bouncing on the bed, curling her legs up into a criss-crossed position in front of her. "You didn't tell me that you guys were doing that!"

"We haven't had sex, Riley," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Promise?" Riley accused.

"I swear," Maya laughed at her friend's antics.

"Ask her again after tonight and she's going to have a totally different answer for you," Smackle shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"What you talking about Smackle?" Maya gasped, head snapping towards the other brunette who was lying on her stomach on Maya's bed, flipping through a magazine.

"I'm saying that you look hot as fuck and there's no way that Lucas is going to be able to resist you tonight when he can barely resist you when you're in your cheerleading uniform, regardless of the fact that he should be used to that sight by now," Smackle replied, attention back on the glossy paged magazine she was reading.

"What's up with this language?" Riley wondered. "You never swear this much," she observed.

"Yeah, well, I'm trying something new," Smackle shrugged.

"I'm not going to have sex with Lucas tonight," Maya insisted, bringing the attention back to her.

"Then why can't we sleepover tonight after your date?" Riley pouted.

"Because…well, we're probably going to be getting back late and I'll probably be tired and my parents are out of town and-"

"Why'd you tell Riley to say you were sleeping over at her place?" Smackle asked innocently. "When you're just coming back here?"

"Because my mom would lose it if she found out that I was staying home alone when she and-"

"Stop making excuses," Riley rolled her eyes. "Or we're staying here all night," she smirked.

"Alright, fine," Maya sighed, leaning back against the wall behind her and holding up her hands to show her sign of surrender. "Lucas and I were planning on hooking up tonight because we have the apartment to ourselves. So, I need Riley to cover for me," Maya admitted.

"That's all you had to say," Riley replied.

"Yeah, I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this," Smackle rolled her eyes, a teasing smile on her face.

Before Maya could muster up a response, there was a knock at the apartment door and the girls all shot into action. Maya started to gather up the rest of her stuff, while Riley and Smackle lunged from the bed, tripping over themselves as they tried to race out of the bedroom and towards the front door, attempting to be the first one there so that they could answer the door and let Lucas in.

Maya rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her friend's antics before slowly following after her friends, figuring that if they were going to make fools of themselves, she might as well use that extra time to make a grand entrance for herself. After all, it was always fun to watch Lucas's reactions when he was taken by surprise with her, and with Riley and Smackle's reactions to her, she was positive that Lucas was going have an even better reaction to her than she had originally hoped for.

As soon as she heard the door open and Riley and Smackle greeting Lucas, she took a deep breath and made her way out of her bedroom, entering the leaving room and walking towards the front door with her head held high, just waiting for Lucas to notice her.

"Riley, that's really interesting and all but…..holy _shit,_ Maya, you look….wow," Lucas trailed off from his conversation with Riley and focused in on the blonde with eyes growing wide as he reached up to scratch behind his neck with one of his hands.

Maya wasn't able to contain the smile that started to slowly spread across her lips at the compliment. Lucas pushed his way between Smackle and Riley, approaching Maya with an eagerness that she had never seen in him before. He took her bag and her jacket, tossing them onto the counter besides the couple and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her in close to him and pressing his lips against hers, claiming her mouth in one of the most intimate kisses the pair had shared, ignoring the audience that they had.

Or, at least, trying to ignore the audience that they had because Smackle and Riley were not the type of girls who just allowed themselves to be ignored by their friends.

"I want that," Riley whined. "Why can't I have something like that?"

"I hate them for being so adorable," Smackle said with an eye roll.

Without breaking her kiss with Lucas, Maya just smiled into the kiss, raising one hand up to give her friends the finger, telling them exactly where they could go.

"Well, we can take a hint," Riley said indignantly. "We know when we're not wanted."

"We'll just take this as our cue to leave," Smackle replied.

With her lips still attached to Lucas's, Maya unfolded her fist and waggled her fingers at her friends, signaling them off with a sarcastic wave of her hand. She knew she was being a little bit snarky with her friends, but she knew that they understood and that they were in on the joke with her.

Besides, she was in love and that was taking over her life. Slowly, but surely, Lucas Friar was taking over her entire world and while she had always argued that she was never going to be the type of girl to dedicate her life to a boy, she couldn't help it when it came to him. And she honestly didn't really mind when Lucas Friar was the boy in question. Because, at least she knew that he was more than worth it.

Which was exactly why she was so okay with their plans for that night, without the tiniest bit of regret or doubt. She was ready-she was honestly ready. And she couldn't wait for it to actually happen. Because, as long as she was having her first time with Lucas, everything was going to be okay.

He would go slow and he would be patient. He would make sure that she was comfortable and enjoying every moment. He would be loving and he would stay with her, cuddling with her all night long. He would always be there for Maya, because he had always been there for her.

So, as long as her first time was with Lucas, she knew that it was going to be absolutely perfect, for once in her life.

* * *

"Maya's so lucky," Riley sighed, walking into her bedroom and handing Smackle a pint of cheesecake core, cookies and cream Ben and Jerry's. "I mean, I know her love story is messy, but the most adorable ones always are," she swooned, dropping down on the bay window with her newest best friend and immediately dipping into her empower-mint Ben and Jerry's.

"Do you have, like, an endless supply of Ben and Jerry's in your freezer?" Smackle wondered, popping a spoonful into her mouth.

"Well, yeah," Riley answered, frowning as though Smackle's question had confused her. "Doesn't everybody?"

"Most people just have, like, a gallon or two at a time and they're pretty basic flavors," Smackle explained, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Especially health nuts like your mom," she pointed out.

"Well, my mom's biggest weakness is ice cream, so whenever she goes to the grocery store she gets whatever flavors they have in the pints," Riley shrugged her shoulders.

"How big is your freezer?" Smackle gasped.

"We go through it pretty fast," Riley admitted. "But, anyways, back to Maya and romance and relationships!" she said excitedly, pulling her feet up so that her legs were criss-crossed in front of her.

"What about it?" Smackle frowned.

"So, you and Zay aren't gonna work, because he's in love with Maya, as we all knew…" Riley explained, her voice trailing off as she waved her ice-cream covered spoon in the air, emphasizing her point.

"What are you getting at?" Smackle made a face, showing her confusion.

"So what now?" Riley bounced up and down in her seat excitedly.

"Nothing," Smackle shrugged.

"What do you mean _nothing?"_

"I mean, the guy that I like is in love with a girl who's never going to care about him the same way, and the other one who I thought I could work things out with is stuck swooning on somebody who's completely unattainable to him," she rolled her eyes.

"Zay and you could still work! He's just being a typical, hormonal teenage guy," Riey rolled her eyes.

"I'm not talking about Zay," Smackle said, staring down into her ice cream.

"Then who are you- _oh…oh!"_ Riley gasped in surprise as she realized what Smackle was talking about, or, more specifically, _who_ Smackle was talking about.

"Yeah," Smackle rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

She knew how ridiculous she sounded, after all. She knew that she was wrong to still be pining over Farkle, when he was so in love with Riley, even knowing that she was never going to have feelings for him. At least, she would never have any sort of real feelings for him. She had been so repulsed by their kiss that she had been driven to tears over the realization that her inability to love somebody like Farkle made what she had feared about herself for so very long true.

Smackle was a smart girl. One of the smartest people that she knew. So, for her to still be obsessing over a boy when all of the facts told her that it was so very wrong, she knew that it made her seem like an idiot. She seemed foolish to hold onto this fantasy of a perfect, fairytale type of relationship.

But, matters of the heart couldn't be considered the same as scientific fact. So, it was either break her own heart every day by refusing to try to make things work and completely give up on Farkle and all of her dreams of being with him, or she could break her own heart every day by pining over him, but knowing that she was giving him every possible chance to be with her, if he ever changed his mind. And, Smackle had learned something from her scientific knowledge that carried over into affairs of the heart. It was better to know the truth, rather than to spend the rest of her days wondering what could have happened.

"Well, you know, you happen to be _very_ lucky to have me as a best friend," Riley said, bumping her shoulder against Smackle's with a mischievous grin.

"Why's that?" Smackle wondered, the confusion evident in her face.

"Because I know _exactly_ what type of girl Farkle likes and I happen to know that you _perfectly_ fit that mold," Riley continued to smile, going back to cheerfully enjoying her ice cream.

"If that's true, then I have two questions for you," Smackle sighed.

"Yeah?" Riley wondered, obnoxiously licking at the large scoop of ice cream decorating her spoon.

"One, if I'm the type of girl that Farkle likes, why is he so in love with you?" Smackle wondered, giving Riley a pointed look.

Riley froze, eyes growing wide as she held the spoon up to her mouth, drips of ice cream starting to run down her hands, mouth parted just slightly from the shock and the bite of ice cream she had been about to take a bite of.

"And two…if I'm the type of girl that Farkle would love, why is he out on a date with Theresa Perron?"

"He's _what?"_ Riley shrieked, dropping her spoon down onto the carpet as her jaw completely dropped and her half-full tub of ice cream tumbled off of her lap, eyes bulging out of her head. "He's on a date with that skanky freshman cheerleader whose best friends with Larissa?" Riley gasped.

"I don't know who she's friends with and I don't know anything about her reputation. I just know that she's a cheerleader and she looks like a mini Maya, with the big blonde curls and the wide blue eyes. The only difference is that she's got your body type," Smackle shrugged.

"Yeah, that's her and she's a major skank," Riley muttered.

"You're swearing," Smackle observed.

"Because I'm pissed off. Farkle's out with a girl just because she looks like mine and Maya's love child when he _should_ be working on a plan to win you back," Riley scoffed.

"He's on a double date with Zay. Besides, he probably figures his chances with me are shot, since he stepped back for Zay and he admitted to being in love with you. He probably thinks I don't want anything to do with him. And he would never do something like that to Zay," Smackle shrugged.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to make that boy see reason. Ready for some fun?" Riley asked, rubbing her hands together deviously.

"What do you have planned?" Smackle groaned.

"Nothing all that awful. I was just thinking that we could ruin Farkle's little date-and, that would involve ruining Zay's date as well, so it's twice as much fun," She smirked.

"Are you sure you're not Maya?" Smackle questioned.

"I'm all Riley! And I'm just saying-we're not allowed to date people that they don't approve of, so why can they date people that we don't approve of? And they didn't even make sure that we all knew about their dates, which is totally unfair!" Riley protested.

"We date guys that they approve of because we just keep cycling through the same four guys," Smackle pointed out.

"Well, I can think of a guy that they both _despise._ A guy that even _Lucas_ hates. And he would be _more_ than willing to help us with a plan to piss those guys off. So, whaddya say?" Riley asked, wiggling her eyebrows excitedly.

"Who did you have in mind?" Smackle sighed, leaning back against the mound of pillows behind her.

"What would you say to a date with Charlie Gardner?"


	37. It's All Happening

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 37: It's All Happening**

 _ **A/N: I am so sorry that I've been gone so long and I want to thank all of you who patiently stuck by and waited for the next chapter to be released! College has been so stressful this semester and between homework and work and classes I just haven't had the time to write. It took me all semester for this one chapter, but I tried to make it as good as possible for you guys so that it was worth the wait. I finish the semester soon though so hopefully during my break between semesters I can give you guys some more updates for this story and all of the rest!**_

* * *

"You want me to go on a date with Charlie _Gardner?"_ Smackle gasped, choking a bit as she coughed in shock, jaw dropping and eyes almost bulging out of her head. "How is that supposed to ruin Farkle and Zay's date with those slutty cheerleaders?"

"It's not," Riley rolled her eyes, leaning over to pick up the ice cream tub and spoon that had fallen to the floor at her feet. "We're going to ruin that in a different way," she beamed, jumping to her feet and racing over towards her closet.

The bare-footed, raven-haired beauty's long, pin-straight ponytail bopped as she walked, taking long strides with her long legs, left bare from the maroon spandex shorts she was wearing with a black Victoria's Secret sleep-shirt that read BUT FIRST COFFEE in maroon print. Meanwhile, Smackle sat at the Bay Window with her hair piled up into a sloppy bun, curling her black legging covered legs up underneath her and wrapping her arms around her, tightening her loose fitting, Victoria's Secret tank top that said DREAM ON around her skinny waist.

"What do you have in mind?" Smackle sighed.

"First, we need to get all dolled up," Riley explained, pulling open her closet door and rifling through the hanging articles of clothing that filled up the space. "And then we need to figure out where those morons are tonight," she replied.

"They went bowling," Smackle shrugged.

" _Bowling?"_ Riley snorted, yanking a denim mini skirt from a skirt hanger and holding it up to expect it thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side as she studied it. "What kind of date is that for two guys like Zay and Farkle when they're going out with two slutty cheerleaders?"

"Riley, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Smackle frowned.

"Put this on," Riley tossed the skirt at Smackle and turn turned back to the closet, grabbing another denim skirt for herself and tossing it onto her bed, without turning around to watch as she tossed it over her shoulder.

"You want me to go bowling in a _skirt?"_ Smackle gasped.

"And this shirt," Riley replied, tossing her a grey, off the shoulder, bell sleeve top.

"Isn't this a little much for bowling?" Smackle wondered.

"No," Riley rolled her eyes, pulling off her own shirt and replacing it with a burgundy, bell sleeve, boat neck blouse.

"And we're just going to show up bowling at the same place the guys are wearing mini skirts and that's going to be normal?" Smackle frowned, but started to change into the faded denim, laced mini skirt nonetheless.

"They're boys. The only reason that they're going to notice what we're wearing is if it's hot. And the only way they're going to notice us at all when they're out with the sluttiest girls on the cheerleading team is going to be if we dress even hotter than their dates are gonna look," Riley explained, pulling her hair from her ponytail and shaking out the wild mane, tussling it with her fingers just a bit.

"I don't know if I like this," Smackle sighed.

"Did you see the way that Lucas reacted when he saw Maya tonight?"

"It was like she was the only girl in the world as soon as he spotted her. It was like his entire world stopped and he couldn't think of anything else, because all he could think about was her and how amazing she looked. Everything just seemed to stop, because all that mattered was Maya, at least….as far as Lucas was considered, all that mattered was Maya, his short stack of a blonde beauty. I want somebody to look at me like that," Smackle admitted, lowering her head, standing there in Riley's skirt and her bra, holding the shirt Riley had handed her in her hands, twisting it around as she stared at the ground, knowing that she sounded like the opposite of the strong, independent girl that she always tried so hard to appear to be.

"And you deserve to have somebody look at you that way," Riley shrugged, pulling on her shirt.

"I'm never going to get that, because I'm not a girl like Maya. Girls like Maya get that reaction from guys, girls like me? We don't get any sort of attention because…." Smackle shook her head, allowing her voice to trail off as she gave in, putting on the top in her hands.

"Because why, Smackle? Why do you think that you don't deserve to have a guy look at you like that?" Riley frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because I don't look like Maya. I don't look like _you,"_ Smackle rolled her eyes.

"And that's why Farkle loves you. He just doesn't know it yet. So, we have to shove you in his face and then tear you away from him, so that he learns how to appreciate you," Riley explained, an excited smile beginning to spread across her face.

"What makes you so sure that he loves me?" Smackle sighed.

"Because, Smackle-who _wouldn't_ be in love with you, once they got the chance to get to know you?" Riley sighed.

"I don't get what you mean," Smackle shook her head.

"Izzy, you say that you're not like Maya or me, and you're right. Because, you're _different_ just like how I'm different from Maya. But, we're friends with you because those qualities that really matter are in you, just like they're in us. And that means that we see you the way that you see us. You think guys fall all over themselves with Maya and me? Well, they fall all over themselves for you, too. You just don't notice it," Riley explained patiently with a comforting smile on her face.

"Then how come I've yet to have a line of admirers banging down my door?" Smackle challenged, but a teasing grin was on her face that showed Riley that she was starting to win her over.

"Because you haven't been looking. And because most guys are intimidated by you. Farkle's not, because he's at your level. And when you surpass him, it just makes him want to be better. The same way that his successes make you want to be better. That's what a good relationship does. It makes you challenge one another so that you can reach your full potential. So, stop whining because Farkle thinks he messed up his chances so much that he'll never stand another shot with you and get your act together so we can go and get your boy back," Riley giggled, grabbing Smackle by the wrist and pulling her out of the Bay Window and down the fire escape, heading towards the city below them without the slightest idea of what was going to happen next.

Because there was no way that anybody could predict what would have happened to the two brunette teenagers after they left Riley's bedroom.

* * *

"Maya, would you just calm down? I don't get why you're crying. What did I do? Can you please just talk to me?" Lucas begged, sitting on the edge of Maya's bed and staring at his distressed girlfriend, sitting in a ball on the floor in the corner of her room.

Her arms were wrapped up around her legs, which were pulled up against her chest so that her chin rested on her knees. Her makeup was smudged and smeared due to the tears that had been falling down her face for a few minutes by this point and her makeup was almost completely ruined. Her hair was a disaster and she was half-dressed, with her feet left bare.

She was fully aware of the fact that she probably looked like some sort of sexual assault victim, and she knew that that was probably adding to Lucas's awkwardness about how to handle the situation, but she couldn't help herself from crying. She was far too overcome by emotions, despite her confidence when the night had first begun. She had thought that she was ready, but she had never been so wrong before in her life.

And now, she was pretty sure that she had ruined things with Lucas forever, because how could she expect him to love a hot mess like herself? He was so comfortable and cool and collected-so perfectly put together.

And she was a disaster, falling to pieces as soon as a sign of real commitment and intimacy hit her. It didn't even make sense that somebody like him, sitting there all hunched over on the edge of her bed, shirtless in just his pants from their date and hair tousled, with his muscles bulging as he ran his fingers through his hair in distress.

She took a few deep breaths, swallowing hard with her eyes squeezed shut. Then, she slowly counted backwards from ten and opened up her eyes, releasing a slow breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"I can't do it, Lucas," Maya admitted, hating how weak and hollow her voice sounded.

"What?" Lucas frowned, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Well, no shit, Maya," he chuckled, with a slightly nervous tone to his voice.

"Why are you laughing?" Maya gasped, narrowing her eyes as she stared at him.

"Because you're telling me the obvious. I can see that you can't do it, Maya. I can tell that you're not ready. What I don't get is why you're crying, because I don't think that not being ready for sex is something worth crying over," Lucas said gently, sliding off of her bed and onto the floor, slowly moving over towards her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

"Why are you so cool about this?" Maya wondered, resting her head on his shoulder. "Haven't you been wanting this for, like, ever?"

"Maya, I'm going to be with you for the rest of my life. I think I can handle waiting a few more years for you to be ready for this. I've got years with you and honestly, as long as I have you, I'm good to go," he shrugged, flashing her a small smile with one corner of his mouth rising up.

"You're so perfect," Maya grinned, reaching up to wipe the last of her tears away.

"I'm not going to try to pressure you," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Now, I know you didn't eat enough because all of that was really expensive and you hate when I spend money on you, so why don't you shower and throw on some sweats and I'll order us some Japanese take out from your favorite place and throw on a movie?" he offered.

"I could go for that," Maya nodded, unable to fight a smile from spreading across her face.

"Yeah, I thought so," Lucas rolled his eyes, rising to his feet and then reaching out to help pull Maya to her own feet.

Once she was standing up, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking a small step back and turning around, tapping her gently on the ass to guide her over towards her bedroom-adjacent bathroom. Maya snickered slightly, shaking her head as she made her way towards the bathroom, trying to figure out how she had managed to get so lucky to have a boyfriend like Lucas.

Lucas, meanwhile, made his way out of Maya's room and towards her closet, heading over towards the dresser where she kept some of his clothes, Grabbing a pair of grey sweatpants and pulling on one of his football practice shirts, he started to dial the number for Maya's favorite delivery place.

Before he could make the call, though, the phone started to ring and he almost dropped it in shock as he struggled to answer it. When he did though, his entire night changed right before his eyes, because he had most definitely not been prepared for what was going to be said to him on the other line.

* * *

Maya had just started finger combing her strawberry scented conditioner through her tangled blonde curls with the steaming hot water bursting from the shower nozzle onto her soft skin, when Lucas started banging on the door to her bathroom, shouting loudly but not loud enough to be heard over the running water and Maya's blaring Fall Out Boy playlist.

Rolling her eyes, annoyed by the interruption, she slid open the shower door just slightly and poked her head out, screaming t full volume,

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, HUCKLEBERRY, SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME IN HERE IF YOU NEED TO TELL ME SOMETHING!"

Popping her head back in and slamming the glass door shut, she continued to get her conditioner out of her hair, sighing as she heard the bathroom door swing open and then slam shut. Another eye roll follower her music being shut off, because it meant that he actually was going to interrupt her shower, which was supposed to be her peaceful time, to tell her something that she most definitely didn't want to hear, because there was no way that it could be important to her when she was naked, after a mini-mental-breakdown.

"Maya," Lucas sighed, his voice soft yet broken sounding.

That voice alone was enough to get Maya to change her mood in an instant. Her frustration faded away within seconds and she started to panic.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked. "What happened? OH, god, please don't tell me that something happened to _Riley,"_ Maya gasped.

"Maya…there's been an accident," Lucas said.

Those words were enough. Maya grabbed her shower comb and gave her hair one final comb through and then opened the door, grabbing a towel from the hook besides it and wrapped it around her soaking wet body. Stepping out of the shower she grabbed a second towel and wrapped her hair around it.

"Give me ten minutes and we're heading to the hospital," Maya told him, fighting from allowing the tears welling up in her blue eyes to fall.

She couldn't cry right now, because it Riley was hurt, that meant that she needed to be even stronger than she usually was. She, as always, had to be strong enough for the both of them. And she knew that all of her friends were going to tell her that now was the time for her to break down and lose control, because they would support her, but they didn't understand how Riley and Maya's friendship worked.

They needed one another and they had their roles to play, and if they didn't play those roles, they were going to be absolutely helpless because it would be like they didn't even have one another anymore.

Maya needed Riley because she needed somebody to make sure that she always believed in a little bit of hope. She needed somebody who saw the best in her and wanted to make Maya bring that side out a little bit more. She needed Riley, because Riley was the one who kept her grounded and made sure that she didn't become a hot mess every single time trouble came her way and she was ready to give up.

But, Riley needed Maya just a little bit more than that. Maya was Riley's strength. She wasn't the girl that kept her ignorant to horrible things happening in the world and she wasn't the girl that made sure she didn't drift away into the atmosphere. Instead, Maya was the person who made Riley believe that she truly could do anything. She made Riley strong enough to be herself and try new things and sometimes, Riley was even strong enough to stand up for herself.

All of their friends had it wrong when they thought that Maya took away Riley's darkness and made it her own. Instead, Maya just put up walls around herself so that she could always appear to be strong, so that Riley knew that her rock didn't have a single weakness. Because, that was what Riley needed from Maya and with all that the brunette had given the blonde, she figured it was the least that she could do.

"Maya, you-"

"If Riley's hurt, then I need to be there and I need to be there _now,_ so give me ten minutes and then we're leaving," Maya declared, head held high as she wrapped herself in her bathroom and squirmed out of the towel she had had wrapped around her body.

Then, she disappeared into her closet and slammed the door shut behind her, leaving a very confused and slightly frustrated Lucas Friar behind her, as he tried to make sense of his girlfriend and her constant desire to always appear to be the strongest person in the room at any given time.

On the other side of the door, Maya grabbed a pair of black, speckled sweatpants from Victoria's Secret with a folded waistline that cinched in at the ankles and tugged them on, removing her bathroom. Then, she grabbed a white razor back tank top and threw that on. She twisted her hair into a messy, sky high bun right on the top of her head and then threw on some moisturizer, a dab of concealer, drew a line of eyeliner across her face and applied a few careful swipes of mascara. As she made her way towards the door, she shoved her feet into a pair of black flip flops and grabbed a denim jacket with black leather sleeves.

Then, she was good to go. She was as put together as she could get herself, but it would be enough for Riley to know that Maya was not about to break down and she was ready to be whatever Riley needed her to be.

Unfortunately, though, there was no way that Maya ever could have predicted what Riley actually needed from her. There was no way that anybody would have ever been able to predict what would be asked of Maya when she entered that hospital room.

* * *

Farkle was pacing the waiting room when Maya arrived, and as soon as his childhood best friend passed through the doorway, he marched straight over to her, arms held open. The tiny blonde stepped inside of his arms and wound her arms around his torso, snuggling into his embrace.

"What happened, Farks? What happened to our Riley?" Maya whimpered.

Farkle knew that she was trying to be strong, and that was why he was allowing her to bury her face into his chest, because if she was going to break down, she wanted to be properly shielded in somebody that she completely trusted. And while Lucas would have seemed like the ideal choice for her, she would never break down around him because she knew that he would immediately take on an act to protect her. He would jump at the chance, because it was all that he ever wanted-to feel like he was needed to be a knight in shining armor.

Farkle, however, would hold onto her and give the illusion that he was leaning on her. He would make sure that everybody thought that Maya was the one supporting him, because that wouldn't surprise anybody. Farkle had always been the one person that watched Maya when she was at her lowest points, because she knew that he didn't have the same hero complex that Lucas did. As long as he could feel like a hero to one of his favorite girls, that was enough for him and nobody needed to know that he was the one who held Maya together.

"Her and Smackle showed up at the bowling alley when Zay and I were on our double date and, well….Zay and Smackle sort of blew up at one another and then I stepped in and then Riley lost it on me and she stormed out and….god, Maya, this is all my fault," Farkle sighed, burying his face into her tumbled, balled up curls that created her bun.

"What happened, Farkle," Maya gulped.

"She ran out onto the street…god, Maya, the car came out of nowhere and she…god, Maya, Riley got hit," Farkle gulped, squeezing his eyes shut as he spoke. "Riley got hit by a car and it's all my fault."

"Stop that," Maya said sharply, pulling away from him and placing her hands on his shoulders, staring up into his golden eyes with her denim blue orbs, making sure that he knew that everything she was about to say was what she strongly believed. "Do not say that this is your fault just because you two got into a fight. She ran out into the street and some driver wasn't in control of his vehicle and couldn't stop. But you didn't push her out there and you didn't make that car hit her. None of this is your fault and don't let me ever hear you blame yourself again," Maya said sternly.

"What were her and Smackle doing at the bowling alley?" Lucas asked, dropping down onto a chair in the waiting room and placing his elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands. "Smackle hates bowling and Riley's only ever able to get Maya to go with her," Lucas sighed.

"Riley was pissed that we went out with other girls," Zay shook his head. "Especially that I went out with a girl who wasn't Smackle," he admitted.

"She had it in her head that we'd run off and we'd show up and Farkle would see me and he'd realize how much more fun he could have with me than with that other girl, because she knew that I wasn't over him," Smackle sighed. "And now Farkle thinks that this is his fault, but it's really all _my_ fault," Smackle said, and then the tears started to fall down her face so quickly that it seemed like she wouldn't be able to speak coherently again.

"None of this is anybody's fault," Maya insisted. "Can we go and see her?"

"Cory and Topanga are in there with her now," Farkle answered. "They'll let us know when-"

"Cory and Topanga are here? Where's Auggie?" Maya started frantically searching around the waiting room until her eyes settled on the tiny little ball curled up in the corner.

Auggie Matthews, the seven-year-old boy was curled up in a ball, in one of the chairs in the waiting room, hiding from the scene taking place before him. His shoulders were shaking which showed that he was crying.

Maya shook her head and rolled her shoulders back, taking a deep breath before making her way over towards Auggie and squatting on the floor in front of him and cautiously reaching out a hand to place on his shaking shoulders.

"Auggie? Hey, Augs…it's gonna be okay," she whispered softly.

His head shot up and he turned towards Maya. Then, just like the little boy that she had known when she first met Riely, he curled up into that same ball, resting on Maya's lap with his head on her chest. The same position that Maya had seen him take with Topanga or Riley so many times. The one that showed that he was with somebody he trusted more than anybody else in the world.

"Maya," he asked in the smallest voice that the blonde had ever heard from him.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Why did this happen to _Riley?_ What did my sister ever do to deserve this?"

"Riley didn't do anything, honey," Maya assured him. "But, sometimes very bad things happen to very good people. But it's all going to be okay, because your sister's strong. She's a fighter. Nothing bad is going to happen to her," Maya assured him.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, Auggie," Maya sighed. "This is Riley we're talking about and even when you wish that she'd go away and just leave you alone, you know that she's not going anywhere for a very long time," Maya teased him, bopping him on the nose with her finger.

* * *

Zay blamed himself more than he was sure anybody else could blame him. If anybody was capable of bringing themselves to blame him with all that was going on. He was sure, though, that Lucas probably blamed him. He was sure that Smackle probably blamed him, and once Farkle stopped blaming himself he would probably start to blame Zay as well.

As strange as it probably seemed, Maya was probably the only person who wasn't going to blame him, because she was the only person who refused to make things worse by placing the blame on one of her best friends. She knew that blaming Zay would only lead to mass chaos. Besides, she knew as well as Zay did that Riley would never blame Zay for what had happened, so how could she place the blame on him?

Still, he blamed himself, which was why he was pacing by himself in a hallway by the cafeteria. He didn't want anybody to talk to him, because he knew the comments that would be made to him for what he had done.

This was what Zay did. He took on the blame for every single problem he or one of his friends had, because that way, he had somebody to place the blame on. As long as it wasn't because of some obvious outside factor, Zay blamed himself. He _needed_ somebody to blame.

After all, it wasn't like he had hit her. He hadn't been the person who had been behind the wheel when they shouldn't have been and he hadn't pushed Riley into the street. He hadn't really done anything to explain why he thought the blame should be placed on him, but he still blamed himself, all the same, and he would continue to blame himself, because that was the only way he knew how to cope with things.

As long as there was somebody for him to target his anger at, he could keep himself from going off the rails. He wasn't like Lucas-Lucas would go after whoever was responsible for whatever had happened and he would never allow them to forget what they had done. Zay, on the other hand, held onto an eternal resentment towards whoever he blamed for the disaster in his life. And when he blamed himself, it just added to all of the disappointments he already had in himself.

So, he was going to isolate himself from his friends until he was calmed down a little bit, because if any of them tried to console him during this situation, he would feel feel even worse than he already did.

The problem was…he should have known that Maya Hart would never allow one of her friends to sulk in the corner by themselves. She had to make sure that everybody else in her life was taken care of, before she could try to worry about herself.

"What are you doing over here?"

Zay cursed under his breathe before turning around to stare at the blonde beauty that he had been in love with since setting eyes on her. She was tiny, but her personality made up for that. And she had been the first person to try to actually make him feel included in New York City. It was the same thing she had done with Lucas, though, and Lucas had fallen for her just as quickly as Zay had fallen for her. Only, Lucas had done it a year before and besides that, Lucas was always stepping aside to let Zay have things. It was only fair that Zay allowed him to have this one thing, that would make both his best friend and the girl he was crazy about happy.

"I just…Maya, it's my fault," Zay sighed.

He wasn't able to lie to her. He was already lying to her about his feelings and that was enough. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her anymore than he already had in life.

"What are you talking about? You didn't hit her with a car, Zay," Maya rolled her eyes with a tense laugh.

"Yeah, but I was a jerk to Smackle," Zay shrugged his shoulders, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans and raising his shoulders up high, so that they touched his ears as he lowered his gaze towards the floor.

"You weren't into her," Maya said softly. "And you told her that and you went on a date with somebody else. Riley was the one who had to take things into her own hands and try to push things. Besides, she brought Smackle there because Smackle's in love with _Farkle,_ not because she wanted you back," Maya explained patiently, placing a reassuring hand on Zay's bicep.

The contact was enough for him to stiffen, because he had spent so many years watching Maya be with somebody else while acting as his guardian angel-stepping in whenever he needed her the most. And he really couldn't bring himself to take holding himself back anymore. His willpower simply wasn't that strong and he couldn't do it anymore.

He wasn't as good of a friend as he had always thought that he was and he knew that now, because if he truly valued his friendship with Lucas, he never would have done what he was about to do next.

"You're right," Zay gulped.

"I know I am," Maya smirked.

"No, I mean you're right about the fact that I wasn't into Smackle," He said slowly. "Because I'm into somebody else and I've been into somebody else for a while now," he confessed.

"Then go after her, Zay," Maya prompted, releasing her hold on Zay and brushing a stray blond curl out of her face.

And Zay took Maya's advice, the same way that he always had. He grabbed onto her arms, pulling her in close to him and sliding his hands down to her hips as he pressed his lips against hers, knowing that he was throwing away his friendship with Lucas-his friendship with everybody in the Six Clique, if he was being completely honest-but unable to bring himself to really care, because all he could think about was the fact that he was kissing Maya Hart and even though it was so wrong, nothing else had ever felt so right.


	38. Just Give Me a Reason

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 38: Just Give Me A Reason**

"What are you doing?"

Maya's hands were on Zay's shoulders, shoving him away from her as quickly as possible. Before she even had the time to truly comprehend what had just happened, she was pushing him away and backing up herself, as if to put as much distance as possible between them.

"You told me that I should go for it," Zay said, putting his hands up in the air defensively.

"You're Lucas's best friend! I'm dating your _best_ friend! The guy who got expelled from school for _you,"_ Maya shrieked, denim blue eyes bulging from her head.

"You still don't know what really went down in Texas, do you?" Zay asked, eyes starting to narrow.

"What are you talking about? I know that you got yourself into trouble just like you always do and Lucas got expelled trying to get you out of whatever mess you got yourself into. What more do I need to know?" Maya challenged, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Believe me, Maya, there's a lot more that you need to know about that story," Zay shook his head, a disgusted look on his face.

"Zay….you need to talk to Lucas," Maya shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

Too much was happening. There was far too much going on for her to try to make sense of anything. Her best friend was in the hospital, lying in a bed unconscious because some idiot driver hadn't been able to stop their vehicle in time. She had broken down into a crumbling mess in front of her boyfriend when they had been about to take their relationship to the next level. And after she had rejected Lucas that night, after all that she had done to build that night up for them, she had kissed his best friend, and now she was doubting her boyfriend's integrity because she was actually questioning whether Zay was telling her the truth or not.

"About what?" Zay cocked an eyebrow.

"About your feelings for me. About the fact that you kissed me," Maya gasped.

"Why? It doesn't mean anything, does it?"

"Clearly it does to you!" Maya snapped.

"You know what's going to happen if I tell Lucas," Zay reminded her. "You know as well as I do that he's going to get pissed. He's going to storm out of here and there's enough drama going on tonight. He doesn't need to know, because he already knows that I'm into you. He never has to know that you rejected me," Zay shoved his hands back into his pockets and lowered his head.

"He needs to know that you kissed me!" Maya exclaimed. "I can't lie to him about this. He's going to find out eventually and he's going to be even more upset if I don't tell him," she pointed out.

"You can tell him if you want to, but I'm not going to be responsible for whatever he does to cope with it," Zay insisted.

"Zay, what's wrong with you?" Maya frowned, eyebrows furrowing together. "You're never like this….you always care about Lucas…"

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm just sick of covering for him about what really went down in Texas," Zay muttered, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about? Zay, what happened in Texas?" Maya wondered.

"Ask your boyfriend when you're telling him about that kiss, since it means so much to you that you guys are totally honest with one another," Zay rolled his eyes before pushing past Maya and taking off. Before he completely disappeared, however, he glanced back over his shoulder and called out to her, "But, if you were smart, you'd just leave things how they are, because when you hear about what really happened in Texas, you're never going to look at him the same way again."

Maya sighed, closing her eyes tightly as she leaned back against the wall, sliding down to the floor and wrapping her arms around her legs. She took a few deep breaths, trying to settle her breathing. She knew that trying to figure out her thoughts was going to be a lost cause, because far too much had happened. What she really needed was a good night's sleep, but there was no way that she would be able to get that before she had some sort of answers.

Unfortunately, she was pretty sure that those answers were going to come at a price that she wasn't quite sure she was ready to pay. And she knew that when she was trying to get those answers, she was going to have to confess to what had happened with Zay, and she knew that he was right.

Lucas was going to storm off and even more drama was going to unfold for her group of friends than there already was.

But, she couldn't do anything without knowing what had really happened in Texas, because it seems to be the missing link for everything that was going on between Lucas and Zay at the current moment. And she couldn't expect Lucas to tell her everything and give her the full, honest truth if she wasn't going to do the same thing. It would be hypocritical and she knew it.

So, Maya had to bite the bullet and do something that she had always struggled with. She was going to have to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and deal with the consequences.

And that would be even harder than she had ever imagined it being, because she wasn't going to have Riley by her side to hold her hand and assure her that everything was going to be okay in the end. All that she was going to have to go on was a gut instinct telling her that she was doing the right thing and that it would all be worth it in the end.

Now she just had to pray that her instincts were right, and that everything would work out for her in the end for the first time in her life.

* * *

"Riles," Maya plopped down on the chair besides her best friend's hospital bed and reached out to grab the brunette's hand. "I could really use some advice right now and I don't know who I'm supposed to turn to right now, because you're the person I always go to, but you can't really help me right now," she sighed.

She knew that Riley couldn't respond to her. She knew that even if Riley _could_ respond, now wasn't the right time for Maya to be harassing Riley with her problems. Even though Maya was an emotional mess, Riley was a physical mess and that made her the priority. Still, Maya needed to talk to her best friend, even if she knew that she was never going to get any answers from her. So, if she had to talk to a comatose Riley Matthews, that was exactly what she was going to do.

"Riles, I know that you've always said that I know Lucas better than anybody else, but I don't think that even I know him well enough," Maya confessed. "Zay told me that there's more to the Texas story than any of us think happened, but I don't know how to ask Lucas about it….and, if I expect him to tell me the truth, I would have to tell him about what happened with Zay and me earlier…" Maya trailed off, unable to bring herself to actually confess what had happened to anybody-even her unconscious best friend who knew everything and anything about her.

"What happened between you and Zay?"

Maya's eyes widened as she dropped Riley's hand, taken aback by the voice that was coming from the doorway behind her. She had turned the chair next to Riley's bed, so that her back was to the door and she could face Riley almost head-on. In her mind, that plan had been brilliant because she would have been able to feel just a little bit more intimate with her best friend. But, looking back on things now, she regretted turning her back to an open door, because that meant that she was just asking for people to overhear her.

"Lucas," Maya sighed, slowly rising to her feet.

"What happened between you and Zay?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and slowly put the chair back in its corner, before turning around to face her boyfriend, while releasing a breathe that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"What happened between you and Zay?" He asked again, his voice hollow and lacking emotion. His muscles were tight and Maya could see the anger starting to fill his hunter green eyes.

It was an anger that she rarely ever saw from him. She had seen it back when Zay had first moved to New York, when he had had to defend his best friend from some rebel of a bully. It was a look that matched the one Lucas had used when he had seen Riley talking to Evan and the look he had every time Maya had ever spoken to Josh. It was the very same look that he had had when he had burst through Riley's barricaded window after finding out that she was being cyber bullied. It was the look that he had had when Riley didn't believe in him. It was the look that he had had when he pinned Billy Ross up against the wall after learning that he had been the one to say those horrible things to Farkle.

Lucas had a certain look when he was angry that showed that he was losing control and he was about to fade back into the boy from Texas that he had tried so hard to overcome. Maya usually was able to calm him down. She had always been able to talk him off the ledge just by saying his name or placing a hand on his arm.

This time was different, though, because the look was because of something that had happened _to_ Maya. For the first time it wasn't because of a factor that Maya could control and it wasn't something that was done to somebody else. It was something that had happened to Maya and that made Lucas completely lose control.

It was the look on his face that confirmed Maya's worst fears-Lucas already knew about what had happened with Zay, and he was ready to go and murder his former best friend. But, before he could allow himself to do that, he wanted to hear what Maya had to say about the entire mess.

"Ranger Rick," Maya sighed, trying to lighten the mood and cringing at the lack of a smile that her comment got from Lucas. "Maybe we shouldn't do this here? Let's…let's go get some coffee or something and talk about it somewhere else," she offered.

"She can't hear us, Maya," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"I don't want to do this here," Maya whispered.

"Alright," Lucas nodded once. "Let's go."

He shoved his hands into his pockets, making it clear that he wasn't completely indifferent to Maya. He was angry with her, even if it wasn't to the same level that he was angry with Zay. And he wasn't anywhere near as close to hating her, the way that he now hated Zay, who had always been his very best friend. The guy who had always stuck by his side and made sure that he had somebody to lean on.

* * *

It hadn't taken much for Zay to fall for Maya.

His feelings had developed almost as soon as he had met her, and from the moment he realized that they existed, he had known that he would never be able to act on them.

After all, from the second that he had walked into Mr. Matthews eighth grade history class, he had learned one very important lesson. Maya Hart was everything that he had ever wanted, but she was already taken.

That much had ben obvious from the dynamic of the classroom. Of the way that every single person in that class, except for the four most important students, watched the way that Maya and Lucas interacted with one another, with slightly amused smiles as though they knew exactly what would end up happening.

But, to Zay, from the first time that Maya had laughed at one of his jokes and to the way that she lit up the entire room with her voice, it was clear that this girl was going to be a threat to his friendship. After all, she was like an angel and she was everything that he had ever wanted in his life. She was Lucas, in female form, with the ability to control her emotions, and that made her even more enticing to him.

* * *

" _What? Y'all started without me?"_

 _Zay burst into the history classroom for his first class on his first day at a new school in a new city, in a new state. Of course, he knew one thing was going to be the same. His best friend, Lucas Friar, would be there and he would be exactly the same as the last time that Zay had seen him. Troublesome and ready to save Zay, every time his mouth got him into some trouble._

 _"GET OUT!" A boy with a bowl cut jumped to his feet and pointed towards the door with an angry look on his face._

 _"Someone in this room is going to be very surprised to see me," Zay stated, ignoring the strange boy in the brightly colored turtleneck, and making his way towards the front of the classroom with his usual, carefree smile on his face._

 _"Is it me?" A cute brunette with a sweet smile asked from the front row._

 _"Don't know, sugar, but could you get any cuter?" Zay smiled at her, leaning forward and flashing her a quick wink._

 _"Well, I can't answer that," the brunette said, with her cheeks tinting red and her smile widening._

 _"You got a transcript, kid?" the teacher asked, walking out from behind his desk with his hand outstretched._

 _"I do," Zay nodded, handing over the folder in his hands. "Check out them grades-here, let me sing 'em to you! D-D-D-D-D-D….D-F," He finished with the final letter coming out somewhat flat sounding but that same grin on his face._

 _"Yeah, I know that song," a beautiful blonde sitting besides the brunette laughed, shaking out her blonde curls that surrounded her rounded face like a wild mane. She had a large smile on her face and it threatened to take over all of her features,_

 _She was gorgeous, and as soon as she spoke, Zay's world stopped spinning._

 _"Isaiah Babineaux. From Austin, Texas," Zay smiled, eyes locked on the blonde._

 _"What are you doing here, Zay?" Lucas asked, eyes narrowing as he watched his best friend from back home staring at the girl of his dreams as though she were the reason that his sun rose every morning._

 _"Well, the first thing I'm doing is waitin' for a better reaction from you," Zay rolled his eyes._

 _"Maya, something's changing," the brunette said in a panic, staring at the blonde with wide, terror-filled eyes._

 _"Okay, Mr. Teach, where do I sit? You know, usually I'm more of back row kind of guy," he grinned as he started towards the back._

 _And then he stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted a girl who highly resembled the bowl-headed boy, with a fifties fashion sense and large glasses. She smiled largely and started waving towards Zay in an overly eager fashion as he turned to look over his shoulder at his new teacher._

 _"Whoa…that's unusual," he observed._

 _"Have a seat right there, Mr. Babineaux," Mr. Matthews said, nodding towards the seat behind Lucas._

 _"Lucas," the brunette turned around and stared at him with confusion written all over her face. "Do you know this Isaiah?"_

 _"Yeah," Zay smirked, sitting down on the top of the desk that he had just been assigned. "Tell 'em you know me good."_

 _"How 'bout we talk later, okay?" Lucas pleaded._

 _"Well, Mr. Babineaux, if you work out as well as last year's new student," the teacher stopped to point at Lucas. "We're happy to have you."_

 _"Wait…what?" Zay froze, eyes locked on his best friend. "Lucas, you're doing okay here?"_

 _"Why wouldn't he be okay here?" the brunette wondered, furrowing her eyebrows together._

 _"Not currently on probation? No disciplinary actions? They just let you wander free?"_

 _"Sit down!" the strange boy insisted again._

 _Zay rolled his eyes, sliding down into his actual chair, rather than sitting on the top of the desk._

 _"Okay-new guy's all settled in and there's still class time left, so do it! Do it while I'm still tingly!" the boy insisted eagerly._

 _"So, in 1831, Belgium declared-"_

 _"What is the secret of life?" A short boy with spikey black hair jumped up to feet. "I'm sorry, Mr. Farkle," he said quickly, looking over at the strange boy, who was gasping at the little one in shock._

 _And then he turned towards the teacher and began to speak again, confusing Zay even further._

 _"I know I'm not your daughter, but I too have value in this world. What is the secret of life?" he wondered._

 _As Mr. Matthews chuckled and started to erase the black board, the strange kid-Farkle, apparently-started to have a meltdown._

 _"Don't do it! Put it down and no one gets hurt!" He pleaded, before starting to scream as he punched his head over and over again._

 _"Yogi asked the primary riddle of the universe: What is the secret of life? People spend their entire lives trying to figure it out. I was lucky. I had a teacher who cared enough about me to make sure I knew. Lucas, you got an opinion on this?" Mr. Matthew asked, as he turned back towards his class._

 _"Yes, what do you got, Mr. Moral Compass?" Maya asked with a mocking grin as she turned around and propped her arm onto Lucas's desk, her chin resting in the palm of her hands._

 _"Did you just call Lucas Friar your moral compass?" Zay gasped, reaching forward and hitting Lucas on the shoulder. "They just called you a moral compass!" He laughed._

 _Lucas turned around, responding to Zay's laughter with a glare._

 _"Okay," Zay frowned._

 _"Something bad is going to happen, Maya," the brunette whispered._

 _"Yeah, it occurs to me that you're trying to tell us Ranger Rick was a little different back in Texas?" The blonde asked, cocking an eyebrow._

 _"A little? What do they know, exactly? 'Cause I wouldn't wanna say anything wrong. They know you're a year older, right?" Zay wondered._

 _"Yeah," Lucas said dryly as he turned around. "Now they do," he glared._

 _But Zay could tell from the way that Lucas was acting that he hadn't been glaring because of a spilled secret and all of the damage that Zay could do to his reputation. No, he was glaring at Zay, because he knew the threat that Zay could pose to his relationship with Maya. And he could tell from the way that blonde was acting that she knew enough about Texas to satisfy her curiosity. It was the brunette who didn't seem to know anything._

* * *

There had been that very first conversation between the blonde beauty from New York City and himself, the Texan class clown. And that had started Zay's downward spiral into having deep rooted feelings for his best friend's girl.

But, that was common sense and everybody knew about that. What really stuck with Zay were all of those times that he had been neglected and rejected by the blonde haired beauty who had been so important to him since the very beginning.

* * *

 _Vanessa walked over to Zay in all of her usual beauty. But, despite her flawless complexion and beautiful smile and button nose, she didn't take Zay's breathe away this time around. Even though her dark, thick mane of hair was curled in that way that Zay had always loved so much and her eyes still had that innocent air of a sweet sparkle in their dark brown orbs, he couldn't bring himself to focus on her as though she were the most important person in the world. She wasn't everything that he had ever wanted, because that girl was right besides him._

 _Maya was sitting there with her hair curled to perfection, creating that usual wild mane that drove Zay so insane. To try to control the hair that Zay knew she hated so much, she had pulled back a few pieces, creating a crown around her head. Her eyes sparkled, with the light, natural makeup she had emphasizing her features. She was wearing a white dress that resembled something a Greek goddess would wear, which made sense to him, and a pair of cowboy boots that amazed Zay._

 _And she was smiling, even though he knew that her heart was breaking, because Riley was stepping back to allow Maya to have a chance with Lucas, but Lucas wasn't taking the bait. Instead, he was fighting for Riley and missing his opportunity to be with the girl of his dreams._

 _But, even though he was sitting with Maya and Lucas was giving up his chances, meaning that Zay could step in, it didn't mean that he wanted Vanessa to approach him just yet. After all, he still barely even had a real friendship with Maya, so how was he supposed to show Vanessa that was he doing better in New York City than he had ever been doing back in Texas, because he had a girl like Maya, who anybody could see was the best type of girl in the world. She was perfect, and he knew that Vanessa would be able to know that after a second of speaking with her. And that was what he wanted-for Vanessa to know that he was with a girl like Maya._

 _He should have known that things weren't going to go his way._

 _"Zay?"_

 _"Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head._

 _"How'd New York been treating you?" Vanessa flashed that golden, nice-girl smile that had fooled so many people as she approached the table Zay was sitting at with Farkle, who was stuffing his face with barbeque, and Maya, who was looking like a dream come true._

 _"Good, yeah," Zay nodded. "Just trying to fit in….making new friends," he shrugged._

 _"Well, looks like you made some," Vanessa said flatly, her eyes locked on Maya. "Wanna introduce me?"_

 _And that was when Zay knew that he would still be able to have some fun with things._

 _"Yeah, um…this is Farkle," he explained, nodding towards the nerdy boy who's face was covered in a thick layer of barbeque sauce._

 _"Texas lady," Farkle observed, shooting Zay a look that showed that he knew exactly who the pretty girl was._

 _"And this is my friend, Maya," Zay said, shooting Maya a smile._

 _"You did not just do that," Maya gasped, turning towards Zay and proving that she had actually been paying attention to him._

 _"What?" Zay gasped._

 _"You did not just introduce your_ _ **girlfriend**_ _as your_ _ **friend?"**_ _Maya chuckled._

 _"What?" Zay laughed._

 _"Isaiah Earl Babineaux!" Maya snapped, slapping him in the shoulder playfully, the way that she always interacted with Lucas._

 _"Your middle name is_ _ **Earl?"**_ _Vanessa's eyes narrowed._

 _"No," Zay rolled his eyes as Maya shot her a look as if shocked that this girl would dare try to join in on Maya's flirting with Zay._

 _"The next time you introduce your girlfriend as your friend, we are through. Do you hear me?" Maya said, placing her hands on Zay's shoulders and turning him to face her, so that her eyes were locked on his._

 _"I mean, I hear you, but I-"_

 _"Put your arm around me," Maya smiling, shaking her head as though she were amused by Zay's words. He did as he was told and Maya learned against his shoulder with a content smile. "Twirl my hair. Call me honey nugget," she giggled._

 _"Hi, honey nugget," Zay smiled, unable to hide his amusement at Maya's antics._

 _"Hi, Hunkalicious," Maya sighed. "Vanessa?" Maya asked, finally giving Vanessa the time of day, which was something she definitely wasn't used to-being ignored, that is._

 _"Vanessa," Zay confirmed._

 _"A little possessive, no?" Vanessa observed, crossing her arms over her chest._

 _"Well, the good ones? You don't let them get away, you know what I mean? With all the girls chasing him around New York City, you have to swoop right in or he'll be gone. I said, ''you have to swoop right in or he will-'"_

 _Zay was enjoying hearing Maya go on, but she was cut off by Riley._

 _"Isaiah Hank Babineaux!"_

 _"No…"Zay groaned, throwing his head back and hating the fact that the pretty brunette was coming to defend him, because it was ruining his interactions with Maya._

 _"I don't care," Riley rolled her eyes. "I only care that you don't let Maya get her hooks into you when you know you are mine," she whined._

 _"This is my friend, Riley," Zay explained._

 _"Now, how do you like it when he calls you a friend, Riley?" Maya asked, sitting up straight and staring at her best friend with cold eyes._

 _"I like it," Riley shrugged happily._

 _"No," Maya said through clenched teeth. "You do not like it," she declared._

 _"I do not like when you call me just 'friend'," Riley said quickly._

 _"Well, what would you like for me to call you?" Zay sighed._

 _"I would like for you to call me….cotton candy face!" Riley said brightly._

 _"Good girl, I know that was hard for you," Maya laughed, and when she laughed and her entire face lit up, Zay knew that this entire scene was well worth any trouble it may have caused him, because when Vanessa saw that face and the way that Zay looked at Maya when she laughed, he knew that she realized that he was no longer obsessed with her._

* * *

It was at that moment that Zay knew that he was never going to be able to get over Maya. She was beautiful and she was kind. She cared about her friends and she would do whatever it took to make them happy.

Even when she was miserable because Lucas was rejecting her, she was still capable of doing everything that she could to help Zay. To make him happy. To keep him from being humiliated in front of Vanessa, because Maya knew how much she had hurt him before he had left Texas.

He knew that it was wrong of him to kiss her, though. Even though he was crazy about her, he knew that he was wrong. She was happy and she was with somebody else. And she was happy, and that should really be all that Zay wanted for her. But, he struggled with that, because it killed him to watch Maya be with somebody else, even though he knew that he should be happy for the girl of his dreams and his best friend.

And it wasn't like he had ever made a move to go after her, he couldn't bring himself to accept the facts that he was never going to be with her. He had been so afraid of ruining the friendship that they had had, even though it had never been that great, so he had backed off and allowed her to date Josh. To pine over Lucas.

And now she was with somebody else again and it looked like Zay was never going to get his chance with her.

Although, it wasn't like he had never made a move to go after her. When Josh was playing his game after their trip to the ski lodge, Zay had tried to ask her out. He had tried to tell her how he felt. And she had shut him down because all she could focus on was Joshua Matthews and the fact that he was finally giving her the time of day.

He was never going to be with Maya and he had to accept that.

But, he would never be able to do that unless he knew that he had made his feelings clear to her. So, he had kissed her and now he had ruined his friendship with Lucas and caused Maya to walk out of his life forever.

Everything that had always made New York City so great to him was gone now, because he had kissed Maya, just so that he could say that he had made every effort to try to be with her.

And now, he just had to wait until Lucas found out the truth about what had happened.


	39. Everything's Coming Up Roses

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A GMW Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 39: Everything's Coming Up Roses**

 _ **A/N: I'm back! I'm on summer break and while life is still going to be crazy hectic for me, I'm going to be able to give some updates for my stories! Hopefully some of you stuck around throughout my hiatus and are still eager for more. Since this is one of my favorite stories to work on, I updated this one first. Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Zay kissed you," Lucas said, the words bursting out in the most accusatory way as soon as he and Maya sat down in the cafeteria of the hospital with their steaming cups of coffee.

"How do you know about that?" Maya whispered, staring down at the Styrofoam cup between her hands.

"You say it like you weren't going to tell me about it," Lucas said flatly.

"I was," Maya insisted, tearing the corner off of a sugar packet and dumping it into the cup. "I just…I wanted to wait until things with Riley were a little bit better and we had something stable…but, I shouldn't have waited, I guess," she shrugged her shoulders, dumping another sugar packet into her coffee.

"What even happened? Why were you two alone…that's not fair, he's your friend. I just…this is my fault," Lucas shook his head.

"How is this your fault?" Maya gasped, pausing as she moved to pour a third sugar packet into her coffee.

"Because I knew how Zay felt about you. I knew, and I never told you, because I knew that you were already fighting your feelings for me because you didn't want to hurt Riley or Josh. I was terrified that if I added in another person that could get hurt because of you and me being together, you'd decide that it wasn't worth it," he confessed.

"You knew that Zay was into me?" Maya frowned, eyebrows furrowing together as she poured the third sugar packet into her coffee.

"Of course," Lucas nodded. "It was pretty obvious. He asked you out, Maya," Lucas reminded him.

"To protect me from watching you and Riley together, because he knew that it killed me inside, especially because I didn't even really have Josh," Maya whispered, stirring her coffee with her eyes locked on the swirling beverage.

"No," Lucas shook his head. "That was the excuse that he gave everybody, because he knew that you were never going to actually give him a chance. He didn't want his rejection to be public," he explained.

"Lucas….why didn't he ever tell me? Why did he make this huge fuss about Smackle? I don't understand," Maya shook her head.

"He knew how you felt about me. He knew how you felt about Josh. He knew how you felt about him. It wasn't fair to you to add himself to the equation when you were already torn between two other guys," Lucas explained. "And Smackle reminded him of you," he stated.

"How did Smackle remind him of _me?_ Smackle is way more like Riley than she is like me. There's no way that the two of could ever be considered similar. I love her, but she's way too lollipop to be compared to me," Maya rolled her eyes.

"No," Lucas shook his head. "You and Smackle are a lot alike. That's why the two of you got so close. That's why you had to change who you were to be like Riley. Smackle and you are alike, and that should have been made blatantly obvious after Zay was her Secret Santa that year," he shrugged.

"What are you-the book…."Maya froze, eyes growing wide.

"Listen, Zay's feelings don't even matter. What matters is the fact that he's supposed to be my best friend and he kissed you. He's been fucking around with everybody's feelings lately, and now he kissed my girlfriend. The love of my life. He kissed the only thing in the world that truly makes me feel whole," Lucas said, and Maya watched her boyfriend transform into Texas Lucas-the dark and terrifying boy that she was usually always so turned on by.

But, this time, Texas Lucas just scared her, because she knew that she wasn't going to be able to keep him calm. She knew that he was going to go off of the rails and there was nothing that she could do to try to stop him. He was out of control and she was just going to have to sit things out and wait for whatever was going to happen, to happen.

That much was made blatantly clear by the fact that he got up and walked away, not even sparing her another glance. It didn't matter, though, because she knew exactly where he was going.

* * *

Maya was sitting on Riley's hospital bed, holding her hand with Farkle sitting in the chair besides the bed, watching the pair of girls. They were sitting there, exactly the same as when they had first met. Switch the background to Riley's bedroom and place the girls on the Bay Window with Farkle on the floor in front of them, and it would be the same as they were back in middle school.

"You're talking to her like she's actually going to answer you," Farkle observed.

"And you're dressed like being the old Farkle is going to bring her back," Maya shot over her shoulder with a slight eye roll.

"Well you're telling her about your problems as if she actually cares. She has way more important things to worry about than your relationship issues," Farkle said, eyes narrowing as he tugged uncomfortably at his lime green turtle neck's collar.

"And you're just missing a lame ass bowl cut before you'd be resembling the nerd that was obsessed with her ever since the first grade. The same nerd who she didn't give the time of day as soon as Lucas showed up on the scene. Do you really think _that's_ going to do anything to fix her?" Maya snapped.

"You're acting like-"

"Will you both stop? Your bickering isn't doing anything to help my healing process!"

Maya and Farkle whirled around, jaws dropping as their eyes grew wide, taking in the sight of Riley, sitting up straight in her hospital bed with an amused, goofy smile on her face.

"Riles?"

"Riley!"

Farkle and Maya lunged towards their brunette best friend, wrapping her in a tight hug as they squealed in excitement over the fact that she was awake.

"Why are you guys freaking out?"

"Because you're awake!"

"I've been awake since last night…." Riley frowned, furrowing her eyebrows together in confusion.

"What? Your parents told me that there was still no word," Maya gasped, turning towards the door and glaring at Riley's parents hovering in the doorway with guilty expressions on their faces.

"Are you kidding me? My parents actually kept something a secret?"

"I knew we shouldn't have left!" Farkle whined, dropping back down into the chair as he shook his head.

"You should leave again and change out of that colorful monstrosity immediately," Riley snorted.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Maya whined, pointing an accusatory finger towards Cory.

"Riley wanted to surprise you guys," Cory said, throwing his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender.

"I didn't realize you two would sit there bickering all morning," Riley rolled her eyes. "Now, tell me what's going on with this Lucas and Zay nonsense. And _you,"_ she zeroed in on Farkle. "Need to change out of that right now because it's hurting my eyes."

"I missed my best friend!" Farkle whined.

"Well we miss Donnie Barnes," Maya stuck her tongue out at him.

"Are you kidding me? When I did that whole hallway, spinny thing and transformed into Donnie Barnes you guys whined about wanting Farkle back. So, I give you Farkle-time and you turn it into some crime? I can't win with you!" he threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Shut up and get rid of all that color," Maya giggled, shaking her head.

"And while you do that, we're going to fix all of this relationship mess. And then you two are going to fix this," Riley grinned, waving her hand in front of her face to show her lack of make-up and the slight bruising, as well as the frizzy hair that was falling all over the place.

"You look gorgeous, Riles," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Are you looking at me right now?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows at Maya in an accusatory fashion.

"Okay, yeah, you could use some help. I'm gonna head off to your house and grab some makeup and clothes because we've got to get some shit done. And I'm bringing Smackle because _this,"_ Maya gestured towards Riley with an apologetic look on her face "Is going to take some work," she teased, sticking her tongue out.

"You're awful," Riley laughed.

And that sound, the sound of Riley's laughter filling up the hospital room when her friends had been fearful she would never be the same again, gave Maya and Farkle the hope that they needed to know that everything was going to be okay. As long as they still had their unbreakable trio, nothing would ever be able to tear them apart, because when they had one another, they had everything that they would ever need.

Maya could get through the troubles with her relationship and figure out this Zay and Lucas situation.

And Farkle could figure out the mess that his life became as he tried to figure out his own feelings. He could fix things with Smackle. He could make some sense out of his love life. And maybe, just maybe, he could do all of that without losing himself once again, the way he had when he had turned into Donnie Barnes for a week.

And Riley would be able to get better. She'd heal and everything would go back to normal, because she would have her best friends by her side and they wouldn't allow the negativity to overtake her. As long as Maya and Farkle were always at her side, she was going to be able to fix herself, in every sense of the word. She would be happier than ever, love herself more, and she would be better than ever.

* * *

"Oh, god, you weren't kidding," Smackle walked into Riley's hospital room with wide eyes as her jaw dropped at the sight of the brunette sitting in the hospital bed across form her.

"Is it really that bad?" Riley cringed.

"Of course-OW!" Smackle cried out in pain as Maya's elbow jabbed into her side. "I mean, of course not. I was just trying to lighten the mood," she flashed a slight smile with a questioning look towards Maya, as though trying to make sure that she had said the right thing and wouldn't be getting another elbow to the gut.

"Let's get to work," Maya rolled her eyes, holding up a large, Victoria's Secret tote bag filled to maximum capacity with makeup, hair supplies and clothes for Riley to pick through. "It's gonna be a _long_ day."

"How come it's okay when _you_ do it?" Smackle rolled her eyes.

"Because I'm the best friend," Maya smirked, walking into the hospital room. "And that means I get to make fun of her whenever I want, because she gets to make fun of me whenever she wants," she shrugged her shoulders, dropping down onto the foot of Riley's bed with a smug smile on her face.

"I'm the best friend, too," Smackle muttered, walking into the room behind Maya. "Doesn't that give me any sort of leverage?" she asked, raising her eyebrows as she dropped down into the chair besides Riley's bed.

"Nope, because you're not me," Maya bragged.

"Maya," Riley rolled her eyes. "Knock it off and be nice to Smackle. Do you have to antagonize everyone that comes to visit me with you?" Riley asked through a fit of giggles.

"I don't know," Maya said innocently. "Are you going to laugh like that if I don't tease everybody that walks into this room with me?"

"Probably not," Riley shrugged.

"Then I guess I'll have to be awful to everybody that I bring around!" Maya exclaimed. "Now, let's get to work and make my best friend look absolutely beautiful once again," she said excitedly, clapping her hands.

"Maya is way too excited for this makeover," Smackle observed, eyes wide in a slight state of panic at the sight of an out of character, eager Maya Hart, who was acting like a little kid on Christmas morning.

"It's what happens when I'm happy," Maya shrugged her shoulders. "Now, let's start playing some music and get to work on fixing this mess," she teased, tugging on Riley's tangled hair playfully.

The two brunettes threw their heads back, joining in on the blonde's laughter as the three best friends filled the depressing, sparkling white hospital room with the sound of livelihood that it wasn't used to receiving.

* * *

"You kissed Maya."

Lucas came barreling into Zay's bedroom and had him up against the wall by the throat within an instant. He didn't wait a single second to get out any niceties before he was attacking his supposed best friend, throwing the accusation right in his face. He didn't want to hear any excuses from Zay and he didn't want to hear a pity party, so that he would feel bad for going after the guy who went after his girlfriend.

The guy who he trusted more than anybody else in the world had been the one to go after everything that Lucas held dear. The one girl who helped to keep him sane and the relationship that he had with the blonde haired angel who kept from falling over the edge had been potentially threatened because of some guy who was supposed to be supporting Lucas in everything that he did.

And that meant that Lucas was in rare form. He was, one hundred percent, back into his hostile state. He was seeing red. He had converted back into Texas Luke, the guy that he had sworn long ago he would never become again. But, he couldn't help it because his best friend had attacked him. It may not have been violently, but he had attacked him. He had gone after the most important thing in Lucas's life.

Still, even though Lucas had converted back into the boy he hadn't been in years, he regretted it. He was afraid, because he wasn't sure if he would be able to go back to the guy he had always wanted to be. The guy that had won Maya over. He was terrified that that guy and all of the work that had gone into his transformation would be gone forever. And that terrified him, because he was proud of the guy that he was.

"You kissed Maya!'

There was a slam after that accusation, which was a result of Lucas's fist slamming into the wall besides Zay's head, smashing through the wall.

"That was a warning shot," Lucas said in a low voice that came from the back of his throat. "Next time, I'm not going to miss. So, you better start talking."

"I had to let her know how I felt! You've known I've been crazy about her since I got here, and you just expected me to be okay with you stepping in and whisking her off of her feet with your whole Moral Compass, Mr. Perfect bull shit act whenever you decided you didn't want to be with Riley anymore," Zay glared, placing his hands on Lucas's shoulders and attempting to shove him back, away from his person.

"Wrong answer," Lucas growled, throwing Zay onto the ground and dropping down on top of him, allowing his fist to collide with his 'best friend's' face.

"You've been playing with Maya's feelings since the second you met her. Riley's too-you don't deserve either of the girls and everybody thinks so," Zay snapped.

"You're on the ground," Lucas growled out, eyes narrowed into harsh slits. "And my fist is inches from your face. I would highly recommend you shutting up right now to make this a little easier on you."

"You think you're so tough, don't you," Zay snickered, managing to shake his head just slightly from underneath Lucas's hold.

"Look at the situation we're currently in. Look at everything that I've ever done for you, to defend you and save your ass. And then ask me that question again," Lucas replied, pushing his forearm against Zay's neck.

"We're not thirteen anymore," Zay snapped, breaking his arms free from Lucas's hold and knocking Lucas off of him. "You're not the toughest guy out there anymore. We work out together every day. You can't beat the shit out of me anymore," Zay informed him.

"You can't take me, Zay," Lucas scoffed, rising to his feet. "But I'm not going to waste my time humoring you."

"What? Scared?"

"No, I just don't want to be this guy anymore. This isn't the guy that Maya wants me to be," he shook his head.

"Maya's been obsessing over Texas-Lucas since I got to town. That's why she fell for you in the first place. Riley's the one who can't stand this side of you," Zay rolled his eyes, staggering back up to his feet.

"I'm not debating this with you. This might entice Maya, but when she actually sees it come out, she hates it. You weren't around the first time it happened and you don't know anything about my relationship with Maya. You don't even know anything about me anymore. I'm not the guy who cleans up your messes anymore, Zay," Lucas said, shooting his former best friend a slightly withdrawn look before turning around and storming out, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

Zay had messed up and ruined some of the best friendships that he had ever had in his life. He had ruined, in one simple action, the longest friendship that he had ever had. The friendship with the guy who had always done whatever it took to protect him. He had ruined his friendship with Lucas, the friend who had always sought to look after him and make sure that he was taken care of.

He had, in that same action, ruined his friendship with the blonde haired beauty who was so kind and compassionate. The girl who he had fallen for in a matter of seconds, because he had tried to make a move on her, knowing the awful situation that he would be putting in her by acting on the feelings that he had had for her for so long,

By ruining his friendship with Maya, he had also ruined his friendship with Riley, the girl that drove him insane and did some ridiculous things to him at times, but who always went above and beyond to put a smile on his face. He had lost one of the purest friendships that he would ever be able to find in his life, all because he had had to make a move on the blonde haired goddess, despite knowing that another man owned her heart. Despite knowing that by acting on his feelings, he was sparking up a whole new mess of drama in the pretty brunette's life, just when all of the drama she had been dealing with up until that moment was finally over.

And in the same process he had ruined a friendship with a boy who had been in the same situation with him. A boy who he had tried to beat to a pulp, because he hadn't liked the way that that boy was acting when it came to a girls' feelings. He had destroyed his friendship with Farkle, because he had become a hypocrite, acting just as carelessly towards the feelings of others as he had accused Farkle of being.

His friendship with Smackle was as good as over as well, because he had made her believe that he cared about her. Then, he had run off on a date with some pretty, slutty cheerleader because he thought that that might make him forget the girl that Smackle just reminded him of. He had played with her feelings and used her, the same way that her former boyfriend had played with her feelings and used her. He had just repeated the cycle, in an even faster matter than what Farkle had done. He had hurt the girl who had only ever tried to ensure that he was included, because she knew what it felt like to feel as though they didn't really belong within the group. As though they were just some add-ons for the fearsome foursome, rather than members of the Six Clique.

Now, Zay was all alone. He was stuck trying to put all of the pieces back together, wondering what he could have possibly done differently. Which was harder than one would think, because Zay found it impossible to completely regret what he had done. He couldn't bring himself to regret finally getting his feelings out there and telling everybody the truth. It was impossible, because to regret that would mean that he would think that he should have continued to lie. To lie to himself and to everybody around him, and that was the last thing that he wanted to do.

Still, he knew that life was going to be difficult for him, because he was stuck trying to put everything in his life back together, alone, without a friend in the world.

He was interrupted from his sulking by his ringing cellphone. He groaned, reaching for the phone without bothering to sit up or open his eyes. Instead, he just swiped to answer the call and held the phone up to his ear.

"Talk to me," he said, unable to remain cheerful or excited, the way that he usually was. All of his goofiness was gone, because he was lacking any form of actual emotion behind his words.

"Can we talk about what we're supposed to do about this whole homecoming mess? Because I know we weren't planning on campaigning to win, but that was before everything that happened with you and Maya today, and what I'm sure happened with you and Lucas afterwards. And I just want to let you know that I still don't want to win and I'm not planning on campaigning. I'm still helping Lucas and May-"

"Smackle," Zay sighed, opening his eyes and reaching up to squeeze his temple, trying to fight off the headache that he could feel coming on as a result of Smackle's long rant. "I know that I fucked up, okay? I'm not stupid and I know that I messed up and I hate that I ruined my friendship with everyone, but that doesn't mean I'm going to try to make it worse. I don't want to win this stupid contest. I want Maya and Lucas to win, I figure I owe them that much, at least," Zay explained, the exhaustion evident in his tone.

"Wait…you're not pissed right now?"

"Of course not," Zay rolled his eyes. "Lucas was justified in what he did. I sort of deserved it, when I went after his girlfriend like that," he admitted.

"And you still want to help them win?"

"Of course I do," Zay replied, as though the answer should have been obvious. "I may have some ridiculous crush on Maya, but I want her to be happy. That's how real my feelings for her are-I want her to be happy, and that means she's going to be with Lucas. It's not like he's awful to her-he treats her the way that I want her to be treated, so I can't really be bitter about the whole thing. And it's important to Lucas that they win, and no matter what happened, he's still my best friend," Zay shrugged.

"Zay, do you want to fix things between you and Lucas?"

"Yeah," Zay confessed. "I don't regret that I told the truth, because I think that our group needed everything to be out in the open. We all need to stop having secrets from one another, because they just tear us further and further apart, and I think that's the last thing that any of us need. But, I hate that I ruined my friendship with everyone in the process."

"Well, I have the perfect plan to fix things for everyone," Smackle said, a wicked tone to her words that seemed unfamiliar to Zay.

"You have a plan?" Zay asked, the disbelief evident in his tone.

"Of course I do," Smackle replied and Zay could hear the eye-roll in her tone. "You act surprised about this, as if I wasn't some sort of genius or something."

"Smackle, right now you sound a little more like an _evil_ genius."

"What's the difference?" Smackle asked with a slight giggle, before clicking off on the phone call, leaving Zay to try to figure out what the next step was, and wondering how his entire future had just been left in the hands of Isadora Smackle.

* * *

Maya, Farkle and Riley were sitting in Riley's bedroom that Sunday night with a large arrangement of Chinese food spread out in front of them.

"I'll bring you my notes after school tomorrow, so that you don't fall behind," Farkle promised, sitting on the floor in front of the Bay Window with his container of Orange Chicken resting in his lap, chopsticks dangling from his fingertips. "And I can help you with your homework, so that you can make sure you understand everything," he added.

"And _I'll_ be over with all of the gossip, because you know you're gonna wanna hear all about Missy and Billy's ridiculous attempts to campaign together for Homecoming," Maya snickered from where she was sprawled out across the Bay Window, popping a piece of her egg roll into her mouth.

"Oh, Maya," Riley whined, from her bed, dropping her kung pau shrimp from her chopstick, back into its container. "The posters! We never got them made and you have to start campaigning _tomorrow!"_

"Riley," Maya laughed. "Relax, okay? Lucas and I won last year with zero effort. We'll be fine if we're a day late in our campaign, or if we don't campaign at all. Everything's going to be fine, and I don't want you to feel guilty about anything, at all," Maya assured her.

"Are you sure?" Riley sighed.

"Riles, it's fine," Maya rolled her eyes. "It honestly isn't that big of a deal, because whatever's meant to be, will be. Everything is going perfectly in our lives," she reminded them.

"Riley got hit by a car," Farkle reminded Maya.

"And Zay kissed you and got beaten up Lucas," Riley pointed out.

"Okay, yeah, but maybe we needed all of that. Minus you getting hit by a car, but, like, everything else," Maya pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Riley frowned.

"I mean that now? There's no secrets. Nobody's trying to hide anything, because everything's out in the open. We know that Zay has feelings for me, and we know that Riley's gay. We know that Farkle's crazy about Riley and we know who Smackle's into. We know that Lucas and I are in love. There's no secrets, for the first time in forever, and it's everything that I've always wanted it to be for us," Maya said confidently.

"What about the fact that Zay's no longer a part of the group?" Farkle frowned.

"I have a hunch that that's going to be taken care of in no time," Maya assured him.

"What are you talking about? Are you insane? Lucas is never going to forgive him for that. Lucas loves you, and Zay tried to challenge that. You said yourself that-"

"Lucas pulled himself back from turning back into Texas-Lucas," Maya cut Riley off quickly. "He couldn't even bring himself to convert back to that guy, and part of the reason for that was because he was dealing with Zay, and he's never going to be able to truly hurt Zay. They're best friends, the same as Riley and me, and nothing is ever going to change that, even Zay's crush on me," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Him not beating him to a pulp doesn't mean that much. He's still not going to just forgive him for what happened," Farkle pointed out.

"Wrong," Maya shook her head. "Because Zay isn't going to just sit around and let things get worse. And he's not going to sit there and wait until Lucas is over it. He's going to do something to apologize and make things better, because that's just the type of guy that he is."

"You have a lot of faith in where things are for all of us," Farkle said, releasing a low whistle.

"Of course I do," Maya said confidently. "I will always believe in my friends and I will always believe in the best of them. We're all going to be okay, because as long as we all have one another, we can overcome any obstacle, at all."

"If Maya said that everything's going to be okay, then everything's going to be okay," Riley said. "I believe in her. Thunder?"

"Lightning," Maya grinned, flashing her best friend a winning smile, holding her fist up to show the same ring that Riley was holding up herself.


	40. The Bitch is Back

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 40: The Bitch is Back**

 _ **A/N: Here you guys go! The drama is starting back up, only this time it's from external factors beyond the Six Clique. And a new character will be introduced soon. Any guesses on who this mystery boy is?**_

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Zay sighed, rolling out his shoulders as he took a step back to study the work that he and Smackle had just finished. "After all the work we put into this, it better work, because I'm exhausted," he admitted.

He and Smackle had woken up early and arrived at the school at six that morning to start decorating. They had plastered every hallway with at least one of Maya's posters to advertise her and Lucas's campaign. At the entrance to the auditorium, the cafeteria and the gym were cardboard cutouts of Maya and Lucas, in their respective uniforms. One was of them from the game the first Friday night that they were dating, with the two of them holding one another and Lucas's helmet dangling from Maya's bow. Another, from the game the most recent Friday, showed Maya standing on top of Lucas's helmet, with one arm wrapped tightly around her waist and the other one at his side, with her arms around his neck, the pair kissing one another. The final was of the two of them standing together, kissing one another with their faces covered by one of Maya's pompoms, with Lucas holding it up in front of the camera, blocking out their mothers' flashing lights. Streamers and balloons, in the school's colors, decorated the ceiling. Each balloon had Maya and Lucas's names written on it, and inside each balloon was a fun-sized candy bar, with Maya and Lucas's names covering up the label.

"It's going to work," Smackle said, placing her hands on her hips with a confident smile on her face. "Because _I_ came up with this plan," She winked.

Zay shook his head, trying to figure out how he had managed to form a friendship with somebody as amazing as Isadora Smackle. A girl who could go out on a date with him and be convinced that that date would lead to something more, only to learn that that was so far from the truth, yet could still go above and beyond to make sure that Zay was still a part of their circle of friends. Smackle was something else, and while Zay had always known that, he found it hard to believe he had never fully understood just how special she really was.

"Now, those doors are going to officially open in five minutes and the stampede is gonna come in. And you want to be _far_ away from Missy Bradford when she sees all of this," Smackle pointed out, wrapping her small hand around Zay's wrist and pulling him towards their lockers.

Zay smiled, shaking his head as he tried to figure out why he couldn't have just made it work with the beautiful girl dragging him down the hallway. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and that was saying a lot. Even that particular morning, when they had been up so early and decorating at the speed of light, she looked absolutely incredible. Her glossy, jet black waves were piled on the top of her head, into a sloppy bun with a few strands falling into her pretty face. She was dressed simply, in a way that flattered her figure in more ways than one. She had on a short, dark denim skirt with a frayed hem and made to look distressed. It was paired with a v-neck, orange tee shirt and orange Converse sneakers.

It would be so easy for Zay to pull back his wrist, pulling her in close to him and kissing her. It would take so little effort, but he didn't care. He couldn't do that, because she wouldn't want that, at all. She wouldn't want him to, once again, lead her on.

She knew how he really felt. She knew about the girl that had his heart. And that girl wasn't her. She knew that as well as anybody and he knew that she knew that. It wouldn't be fair to try to make her believe that Zay's feelings went any deeper than friendship for the beautiful girl.

And Zay hated himself for that, because it made for a third beautiful girl that was nothing more than a friend for him. Yet another girl who was always going to be his best friend, nothing more. Only, this time, it was completely his fault that the girl had this particular place in his life, because he had ruined any potential for a future between them.

Of course, he knew that there was a different boy who could do so much more for Smackle. A different boy who could make her happier and who would treat her the way that she deserved to be treated. And Zay wanted nothing more than to make sure that Smackle ended up with that boy, because that was everything that she deserved and so much more. And after everything that Smackle had done for Zay, he figured that he owed her that-owed her an attempt to try to make her happy, the way that everybody else in their group seemed to be.

"Thank you," Zay said.

"For what? This is all for Maya and Lucas," She reminded him.

"Yeah, but it's to try and help me fix things between them," He pointed out. "So, I wanted to thank you for helping me with all of this. For making all of this possible. I don't even know how you did it, especially that fast, but I wanted to thank you, because you didn't have to do that," he flashed her that grin that Maya always joked he should have patented, because it was so easily reassuring and special.

"Just promise me one thing?" Smackle asked, shooting him an easy-going grin right back. "Prove to me that all of this was worth everything?"

"Of course," Zay assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You're a good friend, Smackle, and I think it's about time we all started treating you like we know how amazing of a friend you are."

She smiled, leaning into Zay's hold, showing her content for everything that was happening. And, for the first time in a long time, Zay found it easy for him to relax and just let things happen. For him to accept the fact that everything was going to be okay for him and his friends. That everything was back to the same easy-going, fun-loving nature that it had been when they were younger, before romance had actually played a factor in their group dynamic.

* * *

"Okay, so we need to have an extravagant campaign strategy because we're a day behind and I'm sure that-"

Farkle groaned, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes as he listened to Maya's continuous rant about her and Lucas's campaign strategy for Homecoming. For a girl who had claimed that she didn't care about winning, Maya had spent the entire ride to school rambling on about everything that she had planned to make up for everything that they had missed out on because of everything that had happened during the weekend.

Now, they were approaching the school, and Farkle was so close to being able to escape Maya's Homecoming-Queen version of a bride-zilla. All he had to do was walk through the front doors and then he could run away, with whatever excuse that he'd be able to come up with so that he didn't have to listen to the ridiculous conversation that his best friends were having.

"Maya," Lucas said, cutting off the babbling blonde as soon as they pushed open the doors to the school.

"Lucas, not now, okay? I'm trying to think of a-"

" _Maya,"_ Lucas repeated, reaching out and placing his hand over her mouth. "Will you stop talking and just _look_ at the hallways for a second?"

Farkle followed Lucas's gaze, mimicking Maya's shocked reaction as he took in everything that was set up in the hallways before him. Blue and white streamers were hung in a cross-crossed fashion across the ceilings of the hallways, with bunched of blue and white balloons at every location where the streamers met the wall. The posters that Maya had designed when the group had started the campaign process were plastered on almost every available surface, and Farkle could see a large cardboard cutout located outside of the gym, featuring Maya and Lucas in one of their ridiculously adorable poses, in their uniforms after a Friday night game.

"Who _did_ this? _Why_ would somebody do all of this?" Maya gasped, spinning around in a circle as she took in everything that had been posted.

"You know exactly who did this," Smackle chirped, skipping over to Maya and swinging her arm through Maya's own. "A certain somebody whose father owns a sign company, perhaps?" she asked innocently, raising a single eyebrow.

"You did all of this on your own?" Maya asked in disbelief. "Smackle, this must have taken you-"

"I didn't do it all alone," Smackle rolled her eyes. "Zay helped me."

" _Zay_ helped you? As in my former best friend Zay?" Lucas asked, unable to contain his shock over what Smackle had just revealed.

"He wanted to do something to make it up to the both of you, after everything that happened the other day. So, he helped me put some decorations up to help get the message out there that Lucas and Maya are the _perfect_ choice for sophomore Homecoming court," Smackle replied easily.

"He did all of this for _me?"_

"He knows how much winning means to you, Lucas," Smackle sighed. "He was up and at the school at six this morning helping me. Cut him some slack, okay? He feels bad about what happened, he just didn't want there to be anymore secrets between any of us, and I think that that's pretty honorable. Maybe not the way he went about it, of course, but he was trying to make sure that nobody was lying anymore in our group, and isn't that exactly what we've been working so hard to achieve?"

"She's got a point," Maya sing-songed.

Lucas shook his head, knowing that his girlfriend would be no help for his case. After all, Maya was one of the most forgiving people that he knew. Instead, he looked over at Farkle for some help, hoping that his other male best friend would be able to give some insight into why the girls were being ridiculous for forgiving Zay so easily, when he had done something so drastically horrible, despite what he had done to try to make amends for everything.

"I mean, it's not like he actually tried to steal Maya away from you," Farkle shrugged, reaching behind his back to scratch awkwardly at the nape of his neck, an uncomfortable smile on his face.

"I'm going to have to forgive him, aren't I?" Lucas groaned, throwing his head back and squeezing his eyes shut, as though he was hoping that when he opened them again he would wake up from some horrible dream.

"Yeah," Maya rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. He did all of _this_ to try and help us, because he knows how much being a high school stereotype means to you," Maya reminded him, gesturing around the spirit-filled hallway as though she needed to remind Lucas of the evidence of the good deed that Zay had committed, in an effort to fix his friendship with the boy that had always had his back.

"Okay, okay," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll talk to him, okay? We'll be best friends again, because…well, I guess this was a pretty nice gesture, especially after everything that went down between us after it happened," Lucas admitted.

"That's all that I'm asking for," Smackle smirked, guiding Maya away from the two boys and towards the blonde's locker with a cheerful hop in her step that seemed so out of character for the girl that had first been brought into the group, all those years ago.

"Smackle's something else, isn't she?" Lucas observed, adjusting the strap on his backpack to pull it higher up onto his shoulder.

"Yeah," Farkle said, a dopey smile forming on his face as he stared after the pair of girls. "She really is," he agreed, nodding his head thoughtful.

Lucas looked over at his scrawnier best friend, with a thoughtful look of his own taking over. As he studied Farkle's reaction to watching the perky brunette disappearing down the hallway, he couldn't help but take in the way that Farkle's eyes lit up at the sight of a cheerful Smackle. The way that he was unable to fight a smile when it came to complimenting the girl, even when she wasn't there.

There was something going on there, something that Lucas was going to figure out, because he owed it to his little buddy to make sure that he was every bit as happy as Lucas was himself.

* * *

Missy Bradford curled her perfectly manicured fingers into fists, digging her cat-like claws into the palm of her hand, ignoring the sting from the indents she was creating on her skin. Her glossy, recently blown out mane of dark chocolate brown, pin-straight hair swaying in its freshly highlighted glory, with a heavy coating of caramel colored streaks running through it, was held back by a polka-dotted headband that matched the short skirt of the dress that she was wearing. A form-fitting, black tank top made up the bodice, with a low neckline to show off her cleavage. She had added an ounce of color by putting on a pair of red peep-toe wedges and a bright red belt wrapped around her skinny waist.

She stomped one of her wedge-covered feet against the tiled floor of the school hallway, releasing a loud scream as she squeezed her eyes shut, not caring about the scene that she was creating due to her outburst. After all, she had far bigger issues to concern herself with, than worrying about some unwanted attention in the school hallways.

"Missy, calm down," Billy Ross said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're causing a scene. People are staring," He hissed, sliding his hand to the opposite shoulder, so that his arm was wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her in close to whisper in her ear.

"How am I supposed to _calm down?_ Maya and Lucas have this entire school decorated in an extravagant fucking matter and that means that I am _royally_ screwed out of my crown!" Missy shrieked, stomping her foot again.

"Did you seriously just stomp your foot? Twice? I thought that girls only did that on TV," Billy snickered.

"Billy," Missy snapped, whirling around on her heel and grabbing his shirt in her fist, pulling his face close to her. "I am a spoiled rotten princess and I _deserve_ that crown. If I don't get it because of Maya fucking Hart and her hillbilly boyfriend, I'm going to seriously hurt somebody and that somebody is going to be _you_ because it will be one hundred percent your fault!" She hissed, the words coming out with even more venom than Billy was used to hearing from his girlfriend.

"Missy," Billy sighed. "I'm going to get you that crown, okay? I know how much this means to you. So, just let me take care of it," he promised her.

"How? What's your master plan? How do you think that you're going to stop Maya and Lucas from winning after all of _this!"_ She snapped, kicking a stray balloon down the hallway and fighting to urge to release another monstrous scream.

"They're playing up the cutest couple factor, Missy," Billy rolled his eyes. "All we have to do to beat them is out-cute them," he smirked.

"How the _hell_ do you think we're going to out-cute the couple that won cutest couple in the eighth grade when they weren't even a god damn couple?" Missy asked bitterly.

"They can't exactly be the cutest couple if they aren't a couple, can they?" Billy smirked.

"How do you think you're going to break them up? I've been trying to piss off Maya and send her into a jealous rage since before the nominations even came out and she's not going for it, and Lucas won't give me the time of day outside of his nice-guy routine. And Maya would never go for _you_ after what you did to Farkle," she whined.

"I'm going to send in somebody they'd never expect," Billy said, wrapping an arm around Missy's waist and pulling her in close. "I'm going to call in some reinforcements-a particular guy who's out it out for Lucas since seventh grade, and who's been dying for a chance to get with Maya for just as long."

"Are you fucking kidding me? She's got _another_ guy trying to get with her? Zay and Lucas and Josh are all obsessed with her and there's still _another_ guy that's into her? Does this bitch have a magic fucking vagina or something?" Missy snapped, crossing her arms over her chest as she allowed Billy to guide her down the hallway.

"Missy," Billy rolled his eyes. "You've got just as many guys trying to get into your pants as Maya does-more, even," He reminded her.

"I'm so sick and tired of being in a constant competition with her. Just once I want to come out on top. Just once I want to be _better_ than her," she pouted, sticking out her bottom lip in an exaggerated fashion.

"And I'm going to make sure that you get exactly what you want, starting with getting you that crown," Billy assured her, leaning down to give Missy a quick peck on the lips.

Because, as much as Missy used him for her status and as well as he knew and understand that that was her entire reason for being with him, Billy Ross was in love with Missy Bradford. He played her game when it came to sneaking around and seeing other people, but that was only because he wanted her to feel the same hurt that he felt inside of him every time he had to hear another story about Missy's latest hookup. He played the game, hoping that one day she would grow tired of it all, and want him-just him, and nobody else. He longed for Missy to decide that the two of them could be loyal to one another, without anybody else playing a factor.

And that was why, despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to rekindle his friendship with Lucas to what it had been back in the seventh grade, he could never fully let it happen. Because he had to give Missy what she wanted, and what Missy wanted was to hurt the girl that Lucas Friar was crazy about. That meant that Billy had to pick-the guy who could be the best friend he would ever be able to have in his life, or the girl that drove him absolutely insane, because she was everything that he had ever wanted in his life, and so much more. He had to make the impossible choice of trying to pick between true friendship, and true love, and he lived in constant fear that he was making the wrong choice.

Still, he was going to continue to give Missy whatever she wanted, because that was the only surefire way that Billy would be able to get even a portion of what he wanted out of life. So, if Missy asked him for something, he would do whatever it took to make her dreams come true.

* * *

"So?" Riley asked, bouncing up and down as much as she could in her crippled state as soon as Maya came crawling in through the Bay Window that evening. "Give me all of the juicy gossip!"

"Well, I feel like crap now," Farkle rolled his eyes, looking over his shoulder and away from the biology textbook that he had in front of him. The same textbook that he had been helping Riley understand because of the material she had missed discussing in class that day.

Farkle had always taken biology, of course, but he had gotten an A and was an official peer tutor at the school, meaning that he was more than capable of helping Riley understand the material so that she didn't fall behind because of the school that she was missing due to her injuries.

"I'm sorry, Farkle," Riley pouted. "I'm just so _bored,"_ she whined.

"What did you do all day?" Maya wondered, swinging her legs over the windowsill and settling into a comfortable position on the bench.

"Slept, my parents told me I had to make sure I was staying caught up in my classes so I read the chapters that we were going over this week," She said, rolling her eyes. "And then Farkle came over and we did more homework and he was super helpful but it was so _boring,"_ she whined again.

"Apparently I'm boring," Farkle replied, a humorous smile on his face that showed that he wasn't really bothered by the situation that was happening around them.

"Well, I've got something way more exciting," Maya said, a wicked smile on her face. "Missy Bradford went crazy when she walked into school today because of a little surprise that Smackle and Zay had set up for when everybody arrived," she said mischievously.

"Why are you being so cryptic? Can't you tell me the whole story without the summary beforehand?" Riley complained.

"Smackle and Zay completely decorated the hallways today for mine and Lucas's campaign. Riles, it was perfect. Even better than what we had come up with the other night. It was so beyond perfect. And Zay did it all to try to make everything up to Lucas, because he wanted to make sure that we all still stayed friends, so everything's okay between the two of them again," Maya said, the words coming out in an excited rush.

"Wait, so you guys were able to start campaigning today?" Riley asked, a wide smile taking over her face.

"Riles, they had cardboard cutouts and balloons and streamers and my _posters!_ It was all there. Smackle ordered cupcakes tonight for us to hand out tomorrow during lunch, too. She's totally filling up the big shoes that you left for my campaign manager, at least until you're all healed up to come and help again," Maya said, flashing Riley a reassuring grin.

"And what about everything with Missy?" Riley asked.

"As soon as she came into school she was screaming and demanding that Billy make sure she gets her crown. She lost it-everybody saw her and Billy was trying frantically to try to calm her down, but nothing was working. It took him forever to finally calm her down and he had to practically drag her down the halls to make her go to class," Maya explained, unable to hide her snickers from her best friends as she took in the joy of her arch nemesis suffering.

Normally, Maya didn't get into high school drama. She didn't deal with the bullshit that didn't really matter when it came to high school, because she knew that it would be over in four short years. However, when it came to Missy, Maya couldn't help but get dragged into the drama. Missy had, after all, harmed Riley back when everybody had first met Lucas. She had tried to steal Lucas and take him for herself. And she never had any remorse for the people that she stepped on when she tried to rise to the top, and she was always trying to rise higher and higher on the social totem pole.

Missy lived for being in the spotlight and she was always trying to get more and more attention on herself. She hated it that Maya didn't have to try in order to get any sort of attention on herself. All Maya had to do was walk down the hallways and every head turned towards her. People parted to make room for her. Maya had to flash a smile and people raced to give her whatever it was that she wanted, because she just had that effect on people. Missy, however, had to work for whatever perks she got. Being pretty wasn't enough to get Missy a top notch spot. Being hot and being easy didn't give her everything that she wanted, either, and she hated it because she didn't want to have to compete so fiercely against somebody who didn't even have to try.

Maya would feel bad for her, if the goal of Missy's life wasn't to hurt Maya in whatever way possible. Maya could bring herself to pity Missy for everything that she had done, because she would feel awful that somebody felt so insecure about themselves that they felt compelled to try to tear down another. But, when it came to Missy and how cruel she was, Maya couldn't help but feel as though Missy got some sort of sick enjoyment out of every evil thing that she did. Maya was convinced that a part of Missy really did enjoy being a stone cold bitch who lacked emotions and failed to see that the boy she constantly cheated on and toyed with was head over heels in love with her. No, whereas Maya would feel bad for anybody else in Missy's shoes, especially because she was so friendless except for Billy Ross, when it came to Missy Bradford in particular, Maya would never be able to forgive her and she would always hold a grudge.

After all, Missy had tried on more than one occasion to steal Lucas Friar and make him her own. And even though Maya had stood by and watched as Lucas stayed in a relationship with Riley, that was okay. She knew that he would always come back to her, and at least she still had him in her life. However, if Lucas was with Missy, Maya would lose him forever. The boy that she loved would have been ruined and forever taken away from her. And that was just another thing to add to the list of unforgiveable things that Missy had done to Maya Hart.

So, their rivalry would exist until the end of time. It would always be there, and Maya would make sure that she always came out on top. Homecoming was just going to be another example of superior Maya was over Missy-she was going to make sure of it. And Maya knew that the number one way she would be able to ensure a victory was because she had the best friends that anybody could ever hope to have. Missy was going to have to add another disappointment to her life when it came to her ridiculous competition with Maya. Because, if it was the last thing that Maya did, she was going to make sure that everybody at school knew that she was far better than Missy Bradford, at absolutely everything in their lives.

And the number one way that Maya was better than Missy?

Well, that was when it came to Lucas Friar, because he was always going to pick Maya Hart, and that was something that had been true from the seventh grade, when he had first arrived in New York City and everybody had first met the Texas implant. And that, to Maya Hart, was the most important victory that she could ever hope to have.

* * *

"I need your help."

"And why would I help you?"

"Because I know what you want."

"You don't know shit. You're a dumb ass football player who thinks he's hot shit because he can throw a ball a couple yards. You don't know the first thing about me."

"I know that you've been obsessing over Maya Hart for years. And I know that you hate Lucas Friar and his whole 'nice-guy' routine. "

"So? That's nothing all that hard to figure out. Anybody who was around in the seventh grade could have told that I was into Maya, and most of the guys in that class hated Lucas and his whole perfect act."

"I'm just saying, I know what you want, and by helping you get what you want, I can get what I want. I think we could help one another out, and that way, we both end up winning. What do you say to that?"

"Why would I want to help you? If I really wanted to win over Maya, I'd win her over. I don't think that I need help from somebody like _you._ Besides, you're on the same team as Friar, so why would I think that I could trust you? Why would you think, even for a second, that I would trust you?"

"Because you know as well as I do that I can't stand Friar. I've been around just as long as you have. We were both in the picture back in seventh grade. You know what happened between me and that group, and you know that it didn't end well. So, I think you should know as well as anybody that I won't be working with Friar on anything."

"What's in it for you? And what exactly is this master plan of yours?"

"Are you in?"

"Give me the details and I'll let you know."

"No, give me a confirmation. Then I'll let you know the plan."

"I don't trust you to come up with something that'll actually work. Give me the plan and I'll give you my modifications. And then we'll see if I'm going to waste my time trying to help you."

"That sounds an awful lot like a yes."

"Give me the plan and stop wasting my time before I walk away and act like this conversation never happened."

"Alright, alright-but this isn't going to get repeated, got it? This is our little secret."

"Like I'd ever want anybody to know I was working with you on anything."

"Fair enough."


	41. Don't Forget To Remember Me

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 41: Don't Forget To Remember Me **

_**A/N: Introducing: Brandon! I don't know why, but I've always loved the idea of Brandon and Maya having a friendship of sorts. I hope you guys enjoy where this story is heading. Let me know what you're thinking!**_

* * *

"Maya Hart, long time no talk," Brandon Cooper slid next to Maya at her AP Chemistry lab table and flashed her a smile.

"You don't sit there, Brandon," Maya rolled her eyes.

"Ah, but I know something you don't know," he informed her, a mischievous grin on his face as he settled onto the stool besides her.

"I hope you won't be offended by the fact that that information doesn't surprise me at all. You have a funny way of knowing everything that's going on around here," Maya replied, unable to fight the urge to flash him a teasing smile.

Ever since the seventh grade class elections, Maya and Brandon had had a somewhat distant friendship. They would talk during classes together, at times, and if they ran into one another at a party, they might spark a conversation. It was never anything of substance, but it was always some sort of friendly banter. Bickering with friendly teasing, that could probably be taken the wrong way from those who didn't understand. It was the core basis of their friendship with one another.

"Well, this new information is going to be something of particular interest to you, since your former lab partner was Yogi," Brandon replied, dropping his signature messenger bag onto the floor between the pair.

"Did something happen to Yogi?" Maya frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"Nah, the little guy's totally fine-still completely heartbroken over Darby ending things with him, but that's not relevant. Anyways, I happen to know that we're switching lab partners today because somebody may have reported certain individuals relying too much on their partners," he whispered, flashing her a quick wink with his sparkling, mysteriously charming amber eyes.

"Would that little birdy that told Mr. Goldberg about that happen to be you?" Maya asked, running a hand through her tangled mess of buttery blonde curls, working on twisting it up into a messy, high ponytail for their lab that day.

"I was partnered with the aforementioned Darby," Brandon pointed out. "I had the exact same issue as you. So, I may have managed to make sure that you and I would both have a hard working partner-namely, one another," he replied.

"You worked your magic to have _me_ as a lab partner?" Maya asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at him.

"Well, now I have a lab partner who can hold her own, and one who's pretty easy on the eyes," he smirked.

"Darby's not exactly a troll," Maya snorted, glancing over her shoulder at the tall, leggy blonde with her sun-kissed blonde waves tumbling past her shoulder, heart-shaped face and large, doe-like, sky-blue eyes.

"I prefer my blondes a little less surfer-girl," Brandon shrugged.

"I never took you as the take to prefer blondes," Maya replied, pulling her lab for that day out of her chemistry folder and sliding the folder back into her bag.

"So, you've been trying to figure out my type?" Brandon asked, a cocky smile on his face as he turned towards her.

"I was thinking dark and brooding, but clearly I was wrong. Apparently opposites really do attract," Maya teased, flipping her notebook open to the color-coded, perfectly organized and detailed notes she had taken while reading the lab the night before so that she would be prepared for the procedure that day, knowing all of the instructions and steps she was going to have to take.

"Well, when the blonde in question is _you,_ I can't help but fall," he told her.

"Brandon," Maya sighed, shaking her head as she tapped her green pen against the lab table. "You know that I'm dating Lucas."

"Yeah, well, like you said, opposites really do attract," Brandon muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean? Brandon, you were part of the reason that I fell for him," Maya reminded him. "You were the one who made it so blatantly obvious to me that _he_ was interested in me. Remember? Secretary of state? It means that he trusts me?"

"Yeah? Well that was a pretty bad mistake on my part, I guess, wasn't it?" He flashed her an easy going grin, that stopped her from panicking over the way this conversation was going.

"Yeah, well we all made mistakes back then when it came to relationships, didn't we?" Maya shrugged.

"You know, that's part of why I like you so much? You were so selfless when it came to Riley's feelings. And not just about Lucas. Her feelings about everything. You always let her take priority over you, and while some people may have gotten frustrated by that…well, I thought it was pretty cool of you," he admitted, a sheepish grin on his face as he reached behind his neck to rub uncomfortably at the nape of his neck.

"Riley's my best friend," Maya whispered, knowing that she was blushing from the fact that somebody thought what she had done was honorable, rather than ridiculous or unfair. "I'd be a pretty shitty friend if I didn't care about her feelings."

"Maya, you've always gone above and beyond as a friend. You're the best friend to have," Brandon promised her, flashing her a smile that made her feel a way that she definitely shouldn't be feeling because of a compliment from a boy who barely even counted as a friend.

"Thanks," Maya said, hating the way that her words sounded like they had been caught in her throat. "That actually…it's nice to hear."

* * *

"Listen, I think that we should be a little cautious," Lucas said, walking up to Maya before lunch that day, hiking the strap of his backpack higher up onto his shoulder.

"About what?" Maya frowned, staring into her locker thoughtfully.

"About Missy and Billy. She's been walking around all day with this confident smile, like she's up to something. I just want us to be on guard, because I don't want them to try to mess anything up for us," he said, flashing her that concerned grin that she knew she would never be used to receiving from him.

"I'm not worried about Missy," Maya rolled her eyes, pulling out her sketchbook and sliding it into her bag.

"Well, I just-"

"Hi, there, partner."

Maya turned around, sliding her AP Composition notebook and matching textbook into her bag, a smile forming on her face at the newcomer to the conversation.

"I'm sorry, do you think that these Texas jokes are a universal thing or-"

"He's talking to me, Hucklebery," Maya rolled her eyes, placing her hand on Lucas's broad bicep. "We're lab partners for chemistry," she explained.

"I thought you were partners with Yogi?"

"There was a bit of a cheating scandal. We all switched partners together, and I ended up with Maya," Brandon explained. "Hope that's all right with her guard dog."

"Yeah?" Lucas asked, wrapping an arm around Maya's waist and pulling her in close to him, a tight grasp on his waist. "Nothing for me to be concerned about. Lab partners isn't anything special," he shrugged.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Brandon said. "After all, we've got chemistry," he smirked, flashing Maya a quick wink before turning on his heel and walking away, casually strolling with his mysterious, bad-boy swagger taking over every step that he took, because that was the way that Brandon was, and the way that he always had been.

A little bit mysterious and a whole lot of tempting. He had always intrigued Maya, even if she had always tried to condense her feelings about the dark haired boy, because of everything else that she had always had going on in her life. Besides, it wasn't like she had any sort of real attraction towards him. She had fallen into the air of mystery that he was constantly coated in, but there was nothing deeper than trying to learn a little bit more about the boy who seemed to know more than enough about everybody relevant to Maya, including herself.

There was nothing for her to worry about, and there was definitely nothing for Lucas to worry about. Brandon definitely wasn't anything close to a threat to her or their relationship.

* * *

Lucas was worried.

He was worried because he had known ever since he had first met Brandon that Brandon was into Maya. And he could speak from experience when it came to the fact that Maya wasn't the type of girl that guys just got over. They had to have a little taste, and once they had that taste it was impossible for them to ever move on. They just wanted to keep getting more and more.

After all, it had been clear to everybody that Brandon had always made sure he was aware of what was going on with Maya, and that he only seemed to care about what was going on with Maya.

And Lucas had seen them. After he had left the gym with Riley on that stupid white horse, after making what he had always thought would be the worst mistake of his life, he had seen Brandon walk over to Maya, and start to talk to her. He had witnessed Brandon starting the friendship that he and Maya had continued over the year.

There was nothing he hated more than knowing that Brandon and Maya had a flirtatious relationship with one another, but there was nothing he could do about it.

It existed and it would always exist, because Lucas had been too preoccupied with some other girl. Lucas had done it to himself, because he had fallen into the comfort of the role that he had been assigned, assuming that if he did as he was told, he would eventually come out on top. If he followed Maya's orders, it would be easy for him to end up with the blonde beauty as his perfect mate.

And while that was the truth, because he had ended up with Maya on his arm, he had set himself up for failure on so many accounts. Due to his obedience to the demands given to him by Maya, he had been forced to lie to one of his best friends and lead her on. He had been forced to watch Maya with countless other guys, Brandon included among them.

Now, Lucas had to deal with his jealousy without making it obvious, because as soon as Maya knew the truth about his feelings and how protective he really was, she was going to make sure that Lucas changed.

While Lucas would change whatever Maya demanded of him, this was one thing he could never change. Because that would put him at risk of losing Maya.

After watching Brandon and Maya interact, he had determined he could never lose her.

* * *

" _Hey, Mr. Matthews! I'd like to name Farkle my vice president," Lucas called over his shoulder cheerfully as their teacher made his way from the room, that cheerful smile on his face that he had so often when it came to his new group of friends in New York City._

 _"You're kidding?" Mr. Matthews chuckled nervously at the statement, but Lucas's attention had immediately gone to his best friend, anyways, not really caring about what their teacher thought about his decision. He had more important people to try to impress, anyways._

 _Farkle's jaw dropped at the news as Lucas turned back to face him._

" _You mean if something terrible happened to you, I'd be president?" Farkle asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect and scaring Lucas just a little bit more than he had thought that Farkle's reaction would._

 _"Mmmmhmmm," Lucas hummed, nodding his head as he tried to hide the wave of terror that was taking over the tall, muscular boy due to the scrawny, skinny boy standing in front of him, still looking at him as though planning how hard it would be to make some horrible accident occur that would hinder Lucas's ability to act as the class president. Knowing what Farkle's financial situation was only added to Lucas's fear._

 _"I accept," Farkle said, suddenly changing into a serious manner as he gave one stiff nod of the head and made his way out of the gym._

 _He hadn't even made it past Lucas when that same wicked smile started to creep back in and his eyes got that same mischievous glint to them. And that scared Lucas too, because he had no idea what Farkle defined as boundaries. Actually, he was pretty sure that Farkle didn't have any boundaries, and he wasn't sure which concept scared him more. All he knew was that he was terrified of this boy and he was ashamed of himself for it, for more reasons than one._

" _Maya, I'd like you to be my secretary of state," Lucas said, turning towards the beautiful blonde that had melted his heart before he'd even entered the halls of John Quincy Adams Middle School._

" _I'm nobody's secretary, Ranger Rick," Maya called over her shoulder, a playful tone to her voice as she rolled her eyes at the request._

 _Before Lucas even had a chance to redeem himself and explain the reason for him offering her that position, another boy was stepping forward. A dark haired boy with pale skin and a black leather jacket. The type of guy that one would picture walking around with Maya Hart on his arm. In fact, he was like a younger version of Joshua Matthews, the uncle of Riley Matthews that Lucas had heard Riley excitedly talk about nonstop and who he knew Maya had a crush on, due to her reaction every time Riley brought up her uncle._

 _"Hey, Hart?" The boy's velvety voice filled the air and Lucas hated the way that Maya's name sounded coming from his mouth._

 _"What?" Maya frowned, obviously confused by the fact that somebody else was joining in on her playful banter with her Huckleberry, and shocked at the most silent boy in class was the one who was speaking up._

 _"Secretary of State is the president's ambassador to the world. It means that he thinks highly of you. It also means he's trying to get you of the country," Brandon explained, flashing Maya a mocking grin as he finished, with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that matched the one that Lucas had seen in Maya's eyes so many times._

 _He hated the way that Maya smiled back at Brandon, as if they were both in on some secret joke that the rest of the world would never understand. He hated it, because it was just another thing that other people got to have with Maya that he would never be able to experience. And it was the exact opposite of what Lucas wanted to experience in his life._

 _"Wait a minute!' Riley said, hopping up onto the stage to make herself even taller and drawing all of the attention onto herself, the way that she liked it, especially when it came to Lucas. "What about me?"_

 _"You?" Lucas frowned, looking up at her, and the blonde who was suddenly standing on the stage besides her, because the girls were always side by side, attached at the hip whenever possible. "What about you?" He shook his head as he fought the urge to roll his eyes._

 _When he saw the way that Maya was looking at him, however, he realized what he had to do. The big romantic gesture he had had planned to try to win over Maya was going to have to be forgotten, and given to the pretty brunette. Because Lucas's blonde beauty always made the rules and Lucas always made sure to follow them. If she wanted Lucas to kiss up to her best friend and try to make her think she stood a fighting chance, so that the blonde wouldn't feel as guilty when the inevitable end came, he would humor her. He would do anything for her, after all._

 _"What are you to me?" Riley wondered._

 _"What are you to me?" Lucas repeated the question back, but he was looking right past Riley and focused on Maya as he spoke, and he knew that she knew it because of the smug look on her face, with her hands stuffed into the pockets of her patch-work denim jacket._

 _Lucas smirked at her, placing two fingers in his mouth and releasing a high-pitched whistle. Immediately, a white horse came galloping in and he saw Maya's surprised look, the brief hint of disappointment that the grand gesture was going to be given to Riley. And for a moment he wanted to change his mind. As always, whenever he was following Maya's rules, he wanted to break her rules and stop playing the game. He wanted to tell the truth and make sure that everybody knew it._

 _And that was especially true in this particular instance, with the way that Brandon was staring at Maya as though she were the most fascinating girl on the planet. As though she could do no wrong, and anybody who didn't cherish her as the best thing to ever happen to this generation was an idiot._

 _Lucas agreed with him, of course, but it didn't mean that he was okay with some other guy looking at his girl in such a way. He wanted every other guy to disappear, so that he alone could stare at Maya as though she was the missing piece of his life. Because, after all, that was exactly what she was._

 _But, Lucas could never say no to Maya, and even when she wasn't verbally asking something of him, he couldn't bring himself to refuse her or to lie to her by acting as though he didn't understand her request. So, as the horse came to a stop before the trio, he lifted himself onto his stead and then reached out to help Riley climb on behind him. Grabbing the princess crown, he had placed on the saddle earlier, he turned towards her with that nice-guy grin and placed it on her head as he spoke._

 _"To me, you're a princess," he declared, turning back towards the front and seeing Maya standing there with that same broken smile she had whenever something was happening to Riley that she was secretly envious of._

 _Whenever something was happening to her brunette best friend that she longed to have for herself, but knew she should be glad her friend was experiencing, Maya had the same smile on her face and Lucas hated that he was now one of the reasons that had caused that smile to appear on her beautiful face. He had wanted to be the one person in her life who never caused that smile, but now he was a reason and he knew that this was going to be the first of many times that he caused that smile to appear._

 _He glanced over his shoulder, trying to appear as though he was looking at Riley, but really using it as an opportunity to check on Maya._

 _The blonde was sitting on the edge of the stage, with her hands in her lap as she stared down at them. But, she wasn't sitting by herself. Brandon was sliding across the stage, so that he was sitting next to her and Maya's head was snapping up to turn towards him as soon as Lucas caught a glimpse of the pair._

 _And he hated that they were sitting there like the perfect rebel couple. Maya, in her patch work denim jacket, covered in patches he knew she had sewn onto Riley's old denim jacket that the brunette had given to Maya, upon the blonde's insistence, after Riley had gotten a stain on it, paired with a pair of black and red checkered skinny pants and black combat boots, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Brandon, in his dark cargo jacket and straight leg jeans with Converse sneakers._

 _He couldn't stand to look at the pair, with Brandon talking while Maya flashed him that secretive, somewhat seductive smile in response to whatever he was saying. He didn't want to continue to look at it, terrified that he might see Maya start to tease him, the same way that she teased Lucas. He was horrified of what his reaction would be if Maya touched him or provoked any sort of physical contact with the dark haired boy._

 _If that happened, he knew he wouldn't be able to control his rage. It was impossible for him to even think of it, because he could feel his muscles growing tense and he knew that Riley would ask him what was wrong if he continued to go on in such a way._

 _So, he took a breath and tried to force himself to imagine that the arms wrapped around him belonged to a tiny little blonde with soft features and a smile that could light up an entire room, even though he knew that she handed them out in rare instances, making whoever received such a smile feel as though they were in on some fantastic secret. He willed himself to believe that the girl clutching him was an adorable blonde-haired beauty who called him ridiculous names, making it her number one goal in life to try to get to him-to make him lose his cool. To ruin the Mr. Perfect, Moral Compass image that he had created for himself ever since he had walked through the front doors of John Quincy Adams Middle School._

 _It was a habit that he hated having to do, but it was something that he quickly got used to, because the only way to cope with being forced to be with the girl he didn't truly love was to imagine that she was the girl who held his heart._

* * *

The first conversation that Maya had ever had with Brandon-the first _real_ conversation, because their two sentence exchange hadn't really counted-had taken place as Lucas had ridden off on a white horse with Riley, into the "sunset" while Maya was forced to watch the boy that she had fallen for-the boy that, in all fairness, she should have dibs on-flirt with her best friend, because Riley wanted him and whatever Riley wanted, the brunette was sure to get, because that was the way that Maya's life had always worked.

She did whatever it took to make Riley happy, and everybody thought that that was because Maya's ultimate goal in life was to make sure that Riley was happy. What people didn't understand was that all that Maya really wanted was for somebody to fight her on it. She wanted somebody to look at her and tell her that she was ridiculous.

Maya longed for somebody to reassure her that she deserved to be every bit as happy as Riley, because Maya was just as amazing as Riley was. She was just as sweet and kind and compassionate. There was no reason for Maya to always put everybody else's happiness before her own, because she deserved every ounce of happiness that she could ever receive for herself. But, whenever she suggested to somebody that Riley's feelings were more important, they allowed her to step to the side and they did everything in their power to support her. They made sure that Riley was happy and that she got everything that she wanted, so that she failed to ever understand how truly horrible the world was around her.

Except for Brandon.

He had seen what Maya was doing and he had known how dangerous it was for her to do such a thing. And he had called her bluff, in the very first conversation that he had had with her. She respected him for that, and that was why her friendship with him was something that had always existed, even when they had distance between them and hadn't really spoken in months.

Brandon had tried to make sure that Maya knew how valuable she was. He had made it his mission in life, in that one conversation, to make sure that Maya would be happy, rather than allowing everybody else in the world to put their happiness before Maya's own. He had fought her, tooth and nail, and made it known to her that that would always be the case, for as long as he was a part of her life. And he had made it clear that he would be a part of her life until the day that she physically pushed him out of it.

* * *

" _You're into him, aren't you?"_

 _"Into who? Ranger Rick? That's ridiculous," Maya shook her head, turning her gaze away from the beautiful couple, fading away from view on their white horse, and giving her attention to the boy sitting besides her._

 _She had never really spoken to him before, but she had always seen him there. He had watched, from the sidelines, the way that Maya had done all those years ago, before she had crawled through Riley's bay window and befriended the quirky girl. He was a loner, but he seemed to be a self-chosen loner. It wasn't that people didn't want to be a part of his life. It was that he didn't want to let anybody in, and Maya could understand._

 _"Yeah, ridiculous," Brandon rolled his eyes. "But, it's just you and me here, so how about we be honest with one another? You're into him, aren't you?"_

 _"I can't be into that Huckleberry," Maya insisted. "He's with Riley. She's who he likes, and she likes him. She's my best friend, so that's really all there is to it. It's the two of them, and then there's me. My job is to be the supportive best friend, because that's just the hand I was dealt," she shrugged her shoulders._

 _"Maya, you're a good friend, you know that, right?"_

 _"Of course I do," Maya snorted. "But what's that got to do with anything?"_

 _"You're such a good friend that you're putting Riley's happiness before your own, and that's not fair to anybody. All that does is make you miserable, and hurt everybody else. Because Lucas? He's not into Riley. Any idiot with eyes can see that," Brandon insisted._

 _"He likes Riley, and who can blame him? She's perfect," Maya sighed, running a hand through her blonde curls._

 _"Are you stupid or something?" Brandon chuckled. "Do you even own a mirror? Because you're absolutely stunning, and that's yet another thing that any idiot with eyes could see. And you're every bit as gorgeous on the inside as you are on the outside, so don't go around acting like Riley's so much better than you, because she isn't."_

 _"Yeah, well, that's nice and all, but it doesn't mean anything. Riley and Lucas are going to be together and that's that."_

 _"Stop putting Riley's happiness before yours. I'm not going to stand by and just let you do that. Until you literally kick me out of your life, I'm going to sit here and make sure that you know that you're absolutely perfect and that you deserve to be happy every bit as much as Riley does," he assured her, reaching out and wrapping his large, calloused hand around her petite one, looping their fingers together._

 _"Why are you doing this?"_

 _"I'm not sure I understand the question."_

 _"Why are you doing this? Being nice to me? You don't even know me."_

 _"I watch people, Maya," Brandon explained. "And I've taken particular interest in you, because you're a lot like me. You think that you don't deserve to be happy, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. Everybody deserves to be happy, especially somebody as amazing as you," he told her, flashing her a smile that was unlike the type of smile she had ever received from a boy before him._

 _She couldn't help but return the smile, and she knew that her cheeks were flushing with a tint of pink. She hated it when she blushed, however, because she thought that it made her look foolish. So, she shook out her curls so that they hid her face, using her thick mane of blonde hair to cover up her flushing face and small smile._

 _"Stop that," Brandon said suddenly, reaching out and brushing her hair away from her face. "Don't hide-you're the most confident person that I've ever met. Never hide your face like that because you have nothing to be ashamed of."_

 _"I feel different talking to you," Maya said. "I feel like I don't have to hide…like I can be honest…and it scares me, because I've never done that with somebody before. Not even Riley, because there are so many things that I just can't tell her….thank you," Maya whispered, squeezing the hand that he had wrapped around hers._

 _"You don't have to thank me, Hart," Brandon said, flashing her his cool-guy smirk. "That's what friends are for, isn't it?" He cocked an eyebrow, releasing her hand from his hold and sliding off of the edge of the stage._

 _"Is that what we are? Friends?" She wondered, raising her blonde eyebrows at him._

 _"Yeah," Brandon said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he started to walk towards the door. "I'd say that about sums it up," he flashed her a smile over his shoulder._

 _"Hey, Brandon?" Maya called out._

 _"Yeah?" He wondered, not bothering to look back at her but stopping in his tracks._

 _"You were right, about what you said earlier…I do like Ranger Rick, but…I don't think that's ever going to happen. I think I messed that up for myself," she admitted, saying the words aloud for the first time._

 _"Never say never," Brandon said, giving a slight shake of his head before he started walking again. "After all, things that are meant to be have a funny way of working themselves out in the end. You can't really mess with destiny."_

 _And with that, he walked out of the gym, leaving Maya to sit there on the stage, all by herself, with only her thoughts to keep her company._


	42. Would I Lie To You?

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 42: Would I Lie To You**

 _ **A/N: I'm back! Thank you to everyone that's stuck with this story through all of my random hiatus's!**_

* * *

Tuesday night, Maya slipped into Riley's bedroom through the Bay Window with Smackle right behind her, a cheerful smile on both girls' faces.

"Anything exciting happen today?" Riley asked, an excited grin on her face as she tossed the textbook she had been reading from aside, hitting Farkle in the arm as her lime green highlighter flew from the book, bouncing onto her carpeted floor.

"Nothing more exciting than biology, I'll bet," Farkle rolled his eyes, leaning over the side of Riley's bed to pick up her discarded school supplies.

"Are you going to do this to Farkle every time I come over?" Maya sighed, reaching out of the window after Smackle had settled onto the window seat and pulling in her duffel bag for her overnight at Riley's, since the brunette would be returning to school the next day.

"I'm so glad I'm done tutoring her ungrateful ass," Farkle teased, tossing her highlighter into her face as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Hey! I'm crippled," Riley pouted, sticking out her bottom lip in a dramatic fashion.

"Don't play that card," Maya rolled her eyes. "And nothing interesting happened, except for Missy and Billy trying to out-cute Lucas and me with their posters. But, honestly? All of their posters are either a close-up of them making out or some dramatic shot of them kissing in an overly sexualized way. Teachers have been tearing them down left and right, so Lucas and I are still at the top," she explained, intertwining her fingers and reaching above her head, to stretch out her arms.

"And Brandon's started officially chasing after Maya," Farkle added, sliding off of Riley's bed and onto the floor to start packing up his backpack.

"Wait, _what?"_ Riley gasped, jaw dropping and eyes growing wide.

"He's her chemistry partner, Farkle," Smackle rolled her eyes. "And they were assigned to one another. It's not like this was all some master plan for him to try to break up her and Lucas," she said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

"I thought your partner was _Yogi?"_ Riley asked, staring at Maya in confusion.

"There was a cheating scandal, from Yogi mooching off of my work, and Darby depending too much on Brandon, so we had some switches and I ended up with Brandon, which is gonna be a major improvement for my GPA. I don't know where Farkle's getting his information from," Maya shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, come _on,_ Maya-that boy has been crazy about you since the seventh grade. Just because he didn't act on it doesn't change the fact that he's wanted his chance with you for years. Whether or not he had anything to do with this whole lab partner thing is irrelevant, because he's going to use this as his in," Riley said.

"Why do you look so excited? Isn't that bad news?" Farkle frowned, raising an eyebrow at Riley from his place on the floor.

"Well of course Brandon going after Maya is bad news," Riley snapped. "But I get to go back to school just in time for there to be some fun!" She beamed.

"Riley," Smackle said gently. "I don't know if you forgot or something, but we've been trying to cut back on the drama that circles around our group. I know you've been bored sitting here the past few days, but there's nothing exciting about Brandon trying to-"

"Don't you _get_ it? Brandon's never once acted on his feelings for Maya before, but now that Missy's all scared about Maya kicking her ass in the running for Homecoming queen, he's being active in his pursuits? Are you guys stupid or something? Billy got to him. He's being used as a pawn in Missy and Billy's campaign scheme, and that means that even if we don't want any drama, we've got it and we have to do something about it," Riley insisted.

"Brandon isn't pursuing me," Maya shook her head. "He came up to me today with Lucas and was talking to me, super casual, about the fact that we're partners. And he was nothing but _friendly_ in class. There was nothing inappropriate about it."

"Maya, when you and that boy are together, there's never anything _appropriate_ about it," Riley said, shooting Maya a knowing look.

"I think you guys are overreacting," Smackle insisted. "How can harmless conversation be construed as sexual?"

"Izzy," Riley said, her voice gentle. "You know I never like to throw up things from middle school, since you weren't around all the time, but this is one time you're just going to have to believe us, because we all saw that first conversation with Brandon and Maya," she said softly, staring down at her bedspread.

"What are you _talking_ about?" Maya asked, her eyes hardening as she stared at her best friend, daring her to try to look up and make eye contact.

"I'm just saying…you and Brandon both have that careless, rebel without a cause vibe about yourselves, and that…well, when you guys are together, you're constantly going back and forth with one another. And it's different than the flirtatious banter between you and Lucas. It just sort of seems…well, it seems a little more promiscuous," Riley explained, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles in her comforter as she spoke, focusing her gaze on that rather than Maya's hardened expression.

"Do you think I have feelings for Brandon or something? Because I don't. I'm in love with Lucas and he's the only guy that I care about. This conversation is pointless," Maya said, her words coming out with a firmness that said that this was the end of the conversation.

"Nobody's saying that you're interested in Brandon," Farkle spoke up, rising to his feet and swinging his backpack over his shoulder. "What we're saying is that you guys have chemistry together, and we're worried that Brandon might think there's a little bit more there than what you think is there," he said cautiously, looking at Maya from underneath his long, curled eyelashes.

"It doesn't matter what Brandon thinks. Maya's feelings are the important feelings here," Smackle declared, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We know that," Riley sighed. "And it's not that we think anything is going to happen. It's just that Lucas gets very jealous very easily and Brandon knows what buttons to push with people," she whispered.

"Lucas trusts me," Maya said, but the words came out just a second too late to be believable and they lacked the same confidence that Maya usually had when she spoke.

Instead, all her words did was make the four friends in Riley's bedroom realize that their drama free period of time was going to end, because they had to worry about a new problem in their lives. The equation had gotten another factor to it, and this was far more troubling than any that they had ever had before, because this time around, there wasn't anything that they could do to change anything.

Brandon was going to cause a whole new level of trouble for all of them, because he was something that they couldn't control. They couldn't do anything and they couldn't predict him. He had always been an unknown, external factor and normally he didn't do anything to pose as a threat. But, this time around, they knew that he was going to cause nothing but trouble for their group, and threaten the only thing that was keeping them all united.

* * *

Lucas and Zay were at one of Lucas's favorite places in New York City, and the one place that very few people knew he frequented. In fact, Zay was the only person who knew about Lucas's trips to the small, run-down gym that was known for training boxers, before they got big and moved onto bigger and better aspirations.

Zay was standing behind the punching bag Lucas was using, and trying to talk some sense into his friend as he punched and kicked at the heavy bag, without taking even a second to hesitate between each blow. It was second nature to Lucas, after all, to fight. It always had been easy for him, to know exactly what to do, at exactly the right time. It was the only time that he could just let loose and be completely focused on all of his frustrations, while also getting them all out of his system.

"I can't believe that _ass,"_ Lucas snapped, his fist flying into the bag.

"Lucas, I get that you don't like the idea of Brandon and Maya being friends, but what exactly are you angry about right now?" Zay frowned, furrowing his eyebrows together.

"He did something," Lucas insisted, his fist flying out again. "Of course he did, because there's no way they just randomly started to get new chemistry partners. He made something happen."

"Dude, is that what this is about?" Zay asked, reaching out and grabbing the punching bag, so that it couldn't swing back towards Lucas.

"Of _course!"_ Lucas snapped.

"Brandon didn't make that happen. Even if he reported Darby and Yogi, there was no guarantee he was going to end up with Maya," Zay pointed out.

"You don't know that!" Lucas barked.

"Why are you so freaked out? Maya loves you, Lucas, and you're the only guy that she cares about. Brandon can't do anything to change that. Nobody can," Zay assured him.

"He was there for her, Zay," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair and tugging at it, hard. "You remember when I one class president in seventh grade?'

"I'm still bitter I wasn't asked to be in the video," Zay muttered.

"Well, I rode off on a fucking white horse with Riley that afternoon and I just left Maya there, watching us together, getting that fairytale moment that Maya had always been so sure she'd never get, but that she knew Riley would get. And I made Maya's worst fear a reality, and Brandon as there to comfort her-he was there when she was sitting there, miserable over me being with her best friend. He was there when I was breaking her heart, and if I can't ever forgive myself for that, how is she supposed to get over that?" Lucas asked, his anger fading away as the hurt and the pain took over, showing how close he was to breaking down completely.

"Lucas, Maya's over all of that. She's not mad at you because of any of it, because she knows that she forced you to act that way. She pushed you towards Riley, and she's not going to hold any of that against you. She knows how unfair that would be," Zay said, staring at Lucas and doing his best to force eye contact.

"But what if he tries to use that against us? What if he reminds her of how shitty I made her feel? What if he calls me out for the fact that I never fought for her the way that I should have?" Lucas asked, the heartbreak evident in his voice as he spoke his deepest fears aloud.

And then Zay understood.

It wasn't Brandon that Lucas was nervous about. Not him specifically, at least. No, Lucas was worried because he didn't want anybody to threaten his relationship with Maya, and he knew that if anybody really wanted to, they'd be able to use all of those things against him. As strong as Maya was and as practical as she was, Zay knew that Lucas was terrified of somebody being able to corrupt her memories of Lucas, and make her image that maybe she hadn't been in control of the situation.

Maybe Lucas really hadn't listened to her when it came to the triangle. Maybe everybody had just worked up an amazing lie to make her think that things were going her way, so that she wouldn't be heartbroken.

And throwing up the fact that people pitied Maya was the fastest way to change her opinion on something. It was the fastest way to corrupt her opinion on somebody and make her push everybody away from her, because Maya Hart did not tolerate the idea of anybody pitying her. She was far too proud for that.

"Lucas, how is Brandon going to make that argument when he never fought for her either? I couldn't even make that argument to her, because _I_ never fought for her. And you _did_ try to fight for her. Not in a way that everybody saw, but you were always pushing. You fought harder, in your own way, than the only person who ever publically fought for her. And you fought way longer than Josh ever did," Zay assured him, his voice gentle and full of so much honesty that he knew Lucas was going to be believe him, because it would be impossible to assume that he was lying.

And he wasn't.

Zay was being more honest in that moment than he had ever been in his entire life.

He never lied when it came to protecting Lucas and his feelings. He never lied when it came to being a good friend to Lucas. And that meant that when it came to Maya and Lucas, and their relationship, he never lied.

Because the most important thing in Lucas's life was that blonde haired beauty. Nothing was ever going to mean more to him than his short stack of pancakes, and that meant that as much as it broke Zay's own heart, he would fight to the death to protect that relationship.

* * *

Wednesday morning, Maya and Smackle walked into Abigail Adams High School with Riley positioned in between the other two girls.

Riley, lowering than her friends for the first time in her life because of her wheelchair, had chosen to dress herself in a way that wouldn't provide any hindrances because of her injuries. Wearing a deep purple, pleated skirt that swayed around her knees so that her legs were bare, except for the lilac cast wrapped up around her leg. She had paired the skirt with a long sleeve, white cropped shirt with a high neckline, to cover up her bruises, and Maya had expertly applied makeup to her face to cover up any marks there. Her long, dark mane of hair had been twisted up into a sky high ponytail, with a thin strand wrapped around the hair tie to cover it up, and a single black Converses sneaker was on her other leg.

Maya was besides her, with a hardened expression on her face that dared anybody to mess with Riley in her crippled state. She had dressed in an outfit that reflected the middle school version of herself, with her patchwork, denim mini skirt with the frayed hemline, matched with a black, high-neck, cropped sleeveless shirt and a red leather jacket, and black, high heeled combat boots to give her a little added height. And her hair was in one of her signature, Maya Hart ponytails with a few strands falling around her face and a slight poof at the front.

Then there was Smackle, raising a threatening eyebrow whenever anybody got to close to Riley or didn't move from her face fast enough. With her dark denim, high waisted shorts and white, cropped sleeveless mock neck shirt and red Vans, the dark haired beauty was dressed in a way that made even her nerdy style seem threatening, even with her checkered headband holding back her hair and her thick framed glasses perched on her nose. Still, even without trying to transform her into somebody else, she looked like somebody who shouldn't be messed with, which was exactly what Maya had been trying to accomplish when picking out all three of the girls' outfits for that day.

Riley hadn't wanted to cause a scene and have a bunch of attention brought to her, but Maya had insisted that they make sure everybody knew that Riley was not to be messed with. The blonde wasn't going to stand by and allow people who wanted attention to fall all over her best friend, just because she had gotten hurt.

And she wasn't going to let any of the snide comments that she was sure would come from Missy infect Riley's optimistic outlook on the situation. She could already hear all of the devious ideas that Missy would come up with, trying to corrupt people's opinions on Maya and using Riley's injuries as her ammunition. Maya refused to give her the satisfaction of having any evidence to voice her claims that Maya was a horrid, selfish person for focusing on her Homecoming campaign while her best friend was confined to a wheelchair and covered in bruises.

"Hey, Riley-want some help getting to homeroom?"

A velvety voice filled Maya's ears, startling her as somebody came up from behind the girls. She heard Riley gasp softly, and turned around ever so slightly, seeing a tall, dark haired boy with pale skin and full, pouty red lips, holding onto Riley's chair with that sarcastic smirk that seemed permanently etched on his face already present, a single dimple visible as his eyes lit up with a mischievous twinkle.

"Brandon?" Riley asked, a startled laugh coming out with the name.

She and Brandon had plenty of classes together. They were both on the yearbook committee and the school paper, and Brandon was one of Riley's favorite photographers to work with for both.

Yet, they had never had the type of friendship where they walked with one another to class. They worked in silence whenever they were working on a page for the yearbook or a story for the paper. They didn't help one another during a time of need. They were never anything close to be friends, if one was being technical.

Yet, there he was, helping Riley to maneuver her wheelchair through the crowded school hallways and offering her help to homeroom, swinging her bulky backpack off of the back of the chair and swinging it over his shoulder, so that it was doubled with his own.

"It's okay, Brandon," Maya said, flashing him a quick smile. "I can help her get around," she assured him.

"Maya," Brandon rolled his eyes. "I know you're constantly trying to be the best friend in the world, but you've already earned that title several times over. Your homeroom class is on the opposite side of the school-there's no way you can help Riley there and get to yours on time. I'm going to the same place, and I have first period with her, which saves you from running back here fifteen minutes after you just made your way all across campus," he pointed out, shooting her a knowing look.

"He's got a point," Smackle said with a slight grimace. "We'd definitely be late to homeroom if we tried to get Riley to hers."

"I can get myself to class," Riley insisted.

"I'm sure you can, but sometime these hallways can be hard to get around, even for those of us that can easily get around," Brandon explained casually, turning Riley's chair slightly so that he could maneuver her quickly around a freshman boy who had just been shoved backwards by one of is friends as they joked around with one another at their lockers. "And since we're going to be heading to the same place, I don't see any reason for me to just leave you to your own devices."

"What's your angle, Brandon? You don't normally do something nice if there's nothing in it for you," Riley asked, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting him a pointed look.

"That's where you're wrong," Brandon said, shaking his head as he spoke. "I happen to be a very generous person, when the person I'm going to be helping is our former Secretary of State," he teased, flashing Maya a quick wink.

"What's he talking about?" Smackle asked, looking back and forth between the three former seventh grade classmates.

"He's talking about when Lucas told Maya that he trusts her more than anybody else in the world, because he made her the secretary of state when he won the election for class president, because _Maya_ contacted all of his friends back home for an epic campaign video," Riley said, smirking over her shoulder at Brandon.

"And then, if I remember correctly, Golden Boy rode off into the sunset on a white horse with _you,"_ Brandon shrugged his shoulder. "But, that's all a distant memory now. Doesn't change the fact that I never pass up an opportunity to help my old friend Maya Hart."

"Well aren't you sweet," Riley muttered with an eye roll.

"Riley," Maya said through clenched teeth. "Play nice," she instructed.

"Brandon," Riley sighed. "It would be _great_ if you would walk me to class. Actually, I think we've got an awful lot to talk about!" Riley said, a wicked smile forming on her face as she spoke, realizing the golden opportunity she was being presented with.

"Perfect," Brandon said, completely unfazed by Riley's response.

"We'll see you soon," Maya said, placing a reassuring hand on Riley's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Be safe," Smackle grinned, stepping back to let Brandon push Riley further down the hallway, so that she could fall into step directly besides Maya, heading into the other direction with her classmate.

* * *

"You like Maya," Riley declared, her voice hostile as soon as Maya was out of earshot as Brandon started guiding her down the hallway.

"Of course I like Maya," Brandon replied, as though it were obvious. "I've always had a thing for her, but that doesn't mean I'm going to try to break up her and Lucas. I want her to be happy and she's happy with Mister Perfect."

"You don't…wait, so you're _not_ helping Missy and Billy try to break them up so that they can win Homecoming court instead?" Riley wondered, frowning as she realized that maybe this situation was a little more complex than she had originally thought.

"I wouldn't do that to Maya," Brandon said easily. "And if I end up with her, it's not going to be because I plotted to break up her and Lucas. That wouldn't be real and it wouldn't mean anything. I'd be her second choice. She can pick me on her own, or she can be with Lucas. Her happiness is what matters."

His words were so pure and honest that Riley couldn't help but believe him. And she knew that sometimes she had a tendency to believe in people even when everything else was pointing towards them being full of lies, but she just knew that that wasn't the case with Brandon. He wasn't lying to her so that he could win her over and use that to his advantage.

He was genuine, because he truly did care about Maya. All he wanted was for her to be happy, the same way that Riley felt towards Lucas. The same way that Farkle felt about Riley and that Smackle felt about Farkle. It was the same way that Zay felt about Maya, and if the friends could all forgive one another for their feelings because of the mature ways that they chose to handle things, Riley couldn't bring herself to be so hostile towards Brandon.

After all, he was doing the same thing that they all were. The only difference was that he wasn't a member of the six clique, the solid group of friends who hadn't drifted from middle school and had remained friends during the transition into high school.

"You don't just like her," Riley said softly, a wistful smile on her face. "You're in love with her."

"Maya's special…but I'm never going to try to ruin her happiness. No matter how hard Billy and Missy try to convince my otherwise," He said, his tone darkening at the end of his sentence.

"Wait...what?" Riley asked, eyebrows furrowing together.

"Billy came to me to try to convince me to help him break up Lucas and Maya, so they couldn't win. Apparently it's a big deal to some people. And I told him I'd help, just to distract him long enough that he couldn't come up with any other plans," He explained.

"Brandon, that's brilliant," Riley exclaimed. "They're going to be waiting for you to actually do something to break them up, and by the time they figure out the truth, it's going to be too late for them to come up with anything good."

"I'm not an idiot, Riley," Brandon rolled his eyes. "I knew that they were trying to play me, and I wasn't going to let them actually come out on top. They can think they outsmarted me all they want, but in the end, they're going to lose and Maya's going to be happy, and that means that I'll have won," he said, his words casual as though he wasn't admitting to one of the sweetest thing that Riley had ever heard of a boy doing for a girl before.

"Why?"

"Because all that I want is for Maya to be happy," Brandon stated, as though it should have been obvious. "That's my goal-it's always been my goal, and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"Brandon...you know that it's always going to be Lucas for her, right?" Riley asked, shooting him a sympathetic look over her shoulder.

"I know, just like how I know that it's always going to be you for Farkle, and it's always going to be Farkle for Smackle. We all want somebody that we can't have, and when it comes to me, that person is Maya. She just happens to be one of the lucky few who has their love reciprocated," Brandon shrugged his shoulders. "Now, you feeling up to working on a story for the paper after school today? We got some new assignments while you were gone," he flashed her that uneven grin that made so many girls think of him as the bad boy of their dreams, changing the subject from a topic that Riley had become far too comfortable with as of late.

"And what would that happen to be?" Riley asked, a coy smile on her face.

"We just so happened to be selected as the lucky duo to do a write-up on the Homecoming nominees. And, I think I've got the perfect person for our first set of interviews," he smirked down at her, with a few strands of spikey, silky black hair falling into his sparkling eyes, making Riley's stomach twist in a way that she had never thought it would as a result of a boy, since that night in her room with Maya, after her date with Farkle.

It had her questioning if maybe she had been just a little bit hasty in her coming out. But, then she thought of Smackle and those butterflies multiplied even more.

Riley knew that her feelings were complicated, and rather complex, but she also knew that she didn't have to figure them all out right away. She was young, and she still had time to figure out who she truly was. And she knew that she was lucky enough to be surrounded by people who would care about her so much that they would support her through everything and anything.

Even trying to figure out why she felt so funny when Brandon flashed her that smile, with his eyes covered by his messy hair, while he spoke about the blonde haired beauty that meant so much to him, and that he would do anything to keep happy.

* * *

"So guess what we're doing after school today," Maya said cheerfully, a goofy smile on her face as she slipped her hand through Lucas's.

"And what might that be?" He asked, looking down at her with a large grin on his face.

"Meeting with Riley and Brandon for an interview for the school paper," she said, her smile growing wider as she swung their intertwined hands back and forth.

"Brandon?" Lucas cocked an eyebrow as he tightened his hold on Maya's tiny hand.

"It's for Riley's assignment," Maya rolled her eyes. "Let it happen, okay? He's not going to try anything when he's taking pictures of me falling all over my hot, football player boyfriend," she teased him, sticking her tongue out.

"You'll be falling all over me?" Lucas smirked, looking down at her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, you'll probably be drooling over _me_ because I'll be in my cheerleading uniform and _you'll_ be wearing your football jersey, but, regardless, our cuteness will be overwhelming," she giggled, lifting their arms up so that she could spin herself underneath their joint hands.

Lucas threw his head back, laughing at Maya's actions as he pulled her in close to him, kissing her sloppily on the cheek before sending her on her way towards her next class of the day. She blew a quick kiss over her shoulder and hurried off, blonde curls bopping in their ponytail as she moved.

He watched after her, wondering how he could have possibly gotten so lucky after so many years of longing after he. He finally had the girl of his dreams, after every obstacle that had ever been tossed his way. He and Maya would be together, for the rest of their lives, and he knew that to be true. He knew it, because he would fight for her, tooth and nail, until his last breath. She was, without a doubt, the love of his life, and now that he finally had her at his side, he refused to let her go.

And he would make sure that Brandon knew he would never stand a chance, because if they had survived Josh's attempts to steal Maya's heart, they could survive anything and anyone. Brandon was in for a rude awakening as soon as that photo shoot started after school.


	43. The Hart Wants What It Wants

**I Write Sins Not Tragedies  
A Girl Meets World Fan Fiction Series  
Chapter 43: The Hart Wants What It Wants **

_**A/N: Hey, guys, so it's been brought to my attention that there are some continuity errors in the story. I mean, it's to be expected with how long I've been working on this story and how many ideas I keep getting, but I really do try super hard to make sure I know where I've been before moving forward with this story. The biggest problem for me is that my direction for the story changed after I started writing it, as I got more and more ideas.  
**_ _ **For example, I mentioned that Maya and Lucas only kissed twice before but I had multiple incidents of when that occurred. I thought I had only put that Maya had kissed two boys before so I think that was more of a typo on my end, but I'm so sorry for errors like that.  
**_ _ **But, some of the other ones that have been brought to my attention aren't really errors. Like when I said that Maya didn't know how Lucas felt. Obviously she knew that at one point Lucas had feelings for her, but she had managed to convince herself that Lucas was interested in Riley and over her, so it was a shock when Lucas told her the truth. That was how I meant for all of that to play out, of course, but if it didn't read that way to any of you, I wanted to clear things up.  
The other issue that was brought up to me was Maya's eating disorder. I wrote that Maya was confident with her appearance. I haven't really dug deep into the eating disorder storyline, but when I do that, you'll understand how the two statements don't cancel one another out because eating disorders go deeper than just displeasure with one's appearance. Just wanted to clear some things up and apologize to all of you for the errors that I've made in terms of plot lines for this story. **_

* * *

Maya leaned in close to the mirror in the locker room, touching up her mascara before heading up to the football field for her photo shoot with Lucas, trying to make sure that she looked absolutely perfect.

As much as she tried to put on an image that she was tough as nails and couldn't care any less about winning some stupid popularity contest like Homecoming, she couldn't bring herself to not try to win. She had been secretly excited when she had heard her name announced this year, and she hadn't been able to contain her excitement upon seeing Lucas afterwards.

She really did _want_ to win, and she hated to admit that, even to herself. She knew that she had done a shitty job in trying to hide it, but she didn't really care because she didn't think that she _should_ have to hide how happy she was to Lucas's queen at homecoming for the second year in a row. She loved Lucas, and cliché things like this made him happy. And with how happy he made her, she would do whatever it took to make him every bit as happy. Especially when it was something that was as much fun as she knew she would have at homecoming.

"Well, if it isn't little miss school spirit," a sarcastic, raspy voice startled Maya, just as she was twisting the cap back onto her tube of mascara.

"Missy," Maya rolled her eyes, turning back around to face her opponent. "What are you doing here?"

"Just because I'm not a cheerleader doesn't mean that I don't have a right to be in the locker room," Missy said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I have field hockey practice," she said dryly.

"Didn't that start ten minutes ago?" Maya asked, glancing up at the clock.

"I'm running late, not that I need to answer to _you,"_ Missy snapped.

"What's your problem with me? What did I ever do to you that was so horrible that you have to constantly try to be a bitch to me?" Maya asked, crossing her arms over her chest, broadcasting the school's mascot.

"You really don't know?" Missy asked, releasing a harsh, hollow laugh as she threw her gym bag to the side, missing the bench positioned in front of the row of lockers she was standing in front of.

"No, I don't, because all I can think of is when Lucas decided to go to the movies with us instead," Maya replied, narrowing her eyes at Missy to challenge her into saying it was anything other than that.

"That's just it! God, Maya, I was so _lonely_ in middle school. I moved here in the middle of sixth grade and nobody wanted to talk to the freakishly tall girl. I tried to be friends with Riley, but she made it _so_ clear that she had you, and didn't need anybody else in her life. So, I just stayed by myself. And then seventh grade hit and I had boobs and suddenly all of the guys wanted to hang out with me. But the only one who never looked at me like I was just the girl with the biggest rack was _Lucas_ and once again he picked _you. Everybody_ always picks _you_ and just once I'd like it if somebody could pick _me!"_ Missy snapped, her voice raising with every rushed word that came out of her glossy red lips.

Her shoulders were shaking, and her expression was hard. She looked absolutely livid, like at any moment she could just leap across the empty space between her and Maya, tackling the blonde to the ground. And with the claw-like nails that Missy had and her position on the field hockey team, Maya knew that it would be an uneven fight, because as tough as Maya was, Missy was known for being able to hold her own in a fight.

Still, Maya wasn't going to just roll over and accept Missy's ridiculous claims.

"How is that _my_ fault? Missy, I didn't tell Riley that she couldn't have other friends! And you're the one that told Lucas that we couldn't all go to the movies together," Maya replied, unable to comprehend how Missy thought that any of that was justification for hating her.

"Do you think I _blame_ you for it? God damn it, Maya, you're so stupid! I don't blame you for the fact that people love you so much. I just _hate_ you for it. I envy you, because I don't have that same quality and it kills me, because all I want is one moment where I can come out on top and no matter how hard I try, you always seem to be one step ahead of me!" Missy shouted, but tears were starting to fill her eyes and Maya could see her composure breaking.

"Well," Maya said, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. "I'm sorry that you feel that we're always in a competition with one another, but that's not on me. That's on you, and…well, I'm not going down without a fight. Not for that crown," She replied, grabbing her bag and heading towards the door.

"Of course you're not," Missy replied, back to the same bitter bitch she normally was whenever Maya was around. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, and that's what makes it so god damn hard to hate you. You're so much like _me,"_ Missy replied.

Those were the final words that Maya heard as the door swung shut behind her, and even though she knew that Missy had said them to be as hurtful and cruel as possible, she knew that Missy was right, especially after hearing everything that Missy had had to say about why she had such strong feelings in opposition to Maya.

After all, not long ago, Maya had always felt the same way about Riley, and Riley was supposed to be her best friend.

* * *

Lucas walked onto the football field dressed in the same jeans he had worn to school that day, with his away football jersey on, and his favorite pair of black Converse. Riley was hunched over a notebook, hurriedly writing away, deep in thought, sitting on the bench the team had located on the sidelines of the field. Maya was nowhere to be seen, while Brandon was standing at the fifty-yard line, setting up his camera and taking a few test shots.

It was the perfect scene for what Lucas felt like he needed to do.

He tossed the football he had grabbed from the storage closet in the locker room from one hand to the other, and started walking across the freshly cut grass, towards the dark haired boy with his hair covered by a grey knit beanie that didn't do much to keep the front strands from falling into his face. Lucas hated the way that he always looked like the type of guy who should stand by Maya's side, especially when he knew that he looked like the exact opposite of the type of guy that Maya Hart should be dating.

"Brandon," Lucas said, his southern drawl coming out strong the way that it always did when he was looking to pick a fight.

"What's up? I should be ready to start soon, I just need a couple more test shots," Brandon said, flashing him an easy going grin before turning back to his camera to continue snapping away at the empty field, towards the goal post.

He was standing there as if he were so innocent, but Lucas knew the truth. He knew that he was plotting against him, trying to ruin his relationship with Maya, and he wasn't going to stand for it. He had already had enough conflict when it came to her, and he wasn't going to let anything or anybody else cause any sort of threat to his relationship with the love of his life.

"We need to talk," Lucas replied, holding the football in front of his chest, with both hands squeezing onto it tightly.

"About what?" Brandon asked, not bothering to look away from his camera.

"I know that you've got feelings for Maya," Lucas said, his words tinted with a darkened edge that he knew held a threat of his own.

"Doesn't matter if I do," Brandon shrugged. "She's into you and I'd prefer her being happy with somebody else than miserable with me because she'd be afraid of being alone," Brandon explained casually.

"You're not denying it," Lucas said, his tough guy edge fading as he released his right hand from the football and dropped both arms to the side.

He had been expecting Brandon to try to lie about everything, so that Lucas would be able to continue to fuel his flames. That way, he could justify his anger towards Brandon. And while knowing the truth should do just that for him, he couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, if Brandon was being honest about is feelings, how could Lucas assume he was being dishonest about the plan he had to go about those feelings.

"Did you think I would?" Brandon wondered, standing up straight and turning towards Lucas with a sad smile on his face. "Because, there's honestly no point in me trying to pretend," he shrugged.

"How do you figure?"

"I've been into Maya since the seventh grade. Riley knows, Farkle knows-everybody knows except for her, so why am I gonna lie about it? But, I'm also not lying about the fact that I'm not going to try to break you guys up. Her happiness means a lot to me," He explained, reaching back behind to neck to rub at the nape of it.

"Why? What are you playing at, Brandon?"

"Listen, Billy and Missy want me to try to break you guys up, because they figure it's the only way to beat you guys in this stupid popularity contest. But, I could care less about what they want. So, I'm your inside guy, so that I can make sure Maya gets exactly what she wants," He explained.

"Why are you trying to help us stay together?"

"Why did Maya try to force you and Riley together? Sometimes, making the person you care about more than anybody else in the world happy is more important than making yourself happy," He explained.

"So that's it? You're just gonna step back?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The way I see it, you're either gonna make Maya the happiest girl in the world, or you're gonna f*** up and I can move in to pick up the pieces. Either way, I win," Brandon smirked, turning back to his camera.

"I'm not going to mess up," Lucas assured him.

"Like I said, doesn't matter to me, because I win either way," Brandon replied, twisting the lens of his camera and snapping one more picture. "Now, go stand with your girlfriend and take some pictures for this stupid popularity contest," Brandon replied, shooting Lucas a mocking grin that showed him that even if he meant what he said about not trying to ruin Maya's happiness, it didn't mean that he enjoyed having to see the pair together.

And knowing that was enough for Lucas to be motivated to make sure that Brandon was reminded of just how sickly adorable Lucas and Maya really were. After all, they had a campaign to win, and if he got to remind Brandon that Lucas and Maya were the definition of relationship goals in the process, he wasn't going to pass up that opportunity. In fact, he was going to bask in that moment for as long as he possibly could.

It would, after all, help him make Maya incredibly happy and that was what Brandon claimed he wanted more than anything else. So, really, he was just helping out his new friend Brandon, who claimed to be on their side. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong-just being the golden boy that everybody thought he was.

* * *

Maya came walking onto the football field dressed as though she were heading to a Friday night football game. Yet, for the first time, she was walking to that field without her teammates by her side and for odd reason, that was making her feel self conscious.

She felt like the skirt of her uniform was far too short and the hated the size of the patch of skin that was revealed by her crop top. Her hair felt over done and she was worried that the amount of makeup on her face made her look like a harlot. Rather than feeling confident, the way that her uniform made her feel whenever she was surrounded by the other girls on the team, she felt ridiculous.

Even with the way that Lucas's eyes scanned her up and down with a small smile that showed how amazing he thought she looked, she couldn't bring herself to feel as though she looked like anything other than a silly little girl trying to play dress up. Somebody trying to be something other than she really was.

"I was thinking we could get one of Maya up on the goal post, with Lucas looking up at her the way he always looks at her when she's getting into trouble. I thought it would be a good picture for the cover page," Brandon said, turning away from his camera and flashing Maya a bright smile.

"How's she gonna get up there?" Lucas wondered, eyes narrowing as he glanced up at the tall goal post that Brandon was suggesting Maya sit on.

"She's gonna climb, the way that she always does when she's trying to get somewhere she's not supposed to be," Brandon stated, like it should have been obvious.

"I like it," Maya said, a devious grin spreading across her face. "It's so _us,"_ she took off running towards the goal post, eyeing the soccer net that was positioned below it for the soccer game later that night.

She started to scale the net, using each hole in the netting as leverage, until she was able to crawl onto the top bar. Then, squatting on top of that, she reached up and wrapped her hands around the goal post, swinging one leg over first, and then the second, so that she was sitting with her ankles crossed, hands wrapped around the part of the goal post she was sitting on, smiling down.

"Maya!" Lucas yelled, looking up at her with that same worried look in his eyes that he had every time she broke the rules and did something she wasn't supposed to do, despite the amused smile on his face because he knew that she would never actually get hurt-not while he was there.

"Got it!" Brandon said, looking up from his camera with an excited smile.

"Coming down!" Maya giggled, pushing off of the bar and dropping to the ground, landing on top of Lucas and knocking him onto the grass, causing him to start laughing as what little weight she possessed rested on top of him. Another click of the camera let them know that Brandon had taken another picture of the couple, in one of their natural moments of cuteness.

Because, it was impossible to actually stage a cute moment between Lucas and Maya. They were naturally adorable with one another, because not only were they both madly in love with one another, but they were the best of friends.

So, they continued to take pictures in that same way.

With Maya jumping to her feet and then stepping on Lucas's back so that he couldn't stand up, flexing with both arms as if she were trying to show off her strength.

With Lucas finally standing up and wrapping his arms as tightly as he possibly could from behind, lifting her just slightly off of the ground so that she couldn't continue her antics.

One of Maya in the air, swinging her legs as Lucas held onto her from behind, both of them with their faces twisted into fits of laughter as Maya tried to squirm her way out of Lucas's grasp.

One with Maya on Lucas's back, covering his eyes. Then one with her kissing his cheek.

One of them kissing one another, with Lucas's football held out towards the camera to block their faces from view.

One of Lucas standing there, holding his football with both hands, blocking his mouth, while Maya was on the ground, on her stomach, with her chin resting in her hands, positioned between his legs that were spread just slightly, her legs bent at the knees so that her feet were swinging in the air.

Brandon took shot after shot, and Lucas couldn't help but be slightly disappointed with the fact that he didn't seem bothered by how adorable Maya and Lucas were acting. Every kiss, every hug, every single moment, and Brandon just continued to take picture after picture, without a second's hesitation.

And while Lucas was loving all of the time he was getting to spend with his girlfriend, he couldn't help but hate the fact that his plan didn't seem to be working.

After all, what was the point of having Brandon there if he wasn't going to become bitter by how cute Maya and Lucas were together.

Of course, what Lucas didn't know was that, on the inside, Brandon was seething, because he couldn't stand the sight of the two of them positioned there, in more and more adorable poses, getting cuter with every passing second. He hated it, because as much as he wanted Maya to be happy, he really did wish that Maya would just pick him, so that they could both be happy with one another. After all, life would be so much sweeter if he was able to be happy with the girl that he had been falling harder and harder for since the first time that he had met her.

But, she had made her choice and her choice was Lucas, and Brandon was just going to have to do his best to live with that and be as supportive as he could, so that he could stay in Maya's life in some way.

* * *

Riley hurried over towards her friends as fast as her wheelchair could take her, as soon as Brandon started to pack up his camera. She already knew what Brandon's photographic talents were like, so just from watching Maya and Lucas pose with one another was enough for her to know that the pictures were going to come out perfectly.

Now, all she needed to do was come up with the perfect angle for her article about the pair, so that she could make sure that it did exactly what she needed it to do to ensure Lucas and Maya a victory when the final announcements for Homecoming Court came out. It was, without a doubt, the only thing that she had ever truly wanted, after all-to be as good of a friend to Maya as Maya had always been to her.

"Alright, so what's next?" Maya asked, slipping her hand into Lucas's with a large grin on her face, showing Riley that the blonde had had fun during their afternoon, despite all of Maya's protests whenever Riley had previously tried to use her for an article.

"Well, we need to have a write-up on you and Lucas to go along with the photo spread," Riley explained, removing her pencil from behind her air and flipping over the notebook that had been resting in her lap.

"And how do you want to go about that?" Maya wondered, raising a pale eyebrow up at Riley curiously.

"I was thinking we could do a whole, then-and-now type of thing?" Riley wondered.

"And let people focus on the idea that Maya stole her best friend's boyfriend?" Brandon scoffed. "Sorry, I know it's not true, but the rest of this school? They finally got over it, but they'll pounce on it as soon as somebody puts the idea back in their head," he went on, flashing Maya an apologetic look as her expression started to falter.

"That's not what-"

"It is what happened," Maya rolled her eyes. "And that's exactly what people are going to say if you go about it that way," she sighed.

"Well, I mean…we could do a whole couple's questionnaire type of thing, to show how well you guys know one another?" Riley suggested.

"They've been best friends since Lucas sat down on the subway and Maya caught a glimpse of him," Brandon rolled his eyes. "Nobody's going to be impressed by them knowing everything there is to know about one another."

"And what's _your_ idea?" Lucas asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Brandon. "Because all I hear right now is you shutting down everybody else's ideas."

"Well, for starters, I wouldn't focus on what everybody already knows about you guys. Everybody already knows that you're sickeningly adorable with one another. They all know you guys know one another better than the back of your hands. Everybody knows that the three of you had your whole triangle mess freshman year. So, instead, you show what people don't know about you guys," he suggested, swinging his camera bag over his shoulder.

"And how exactly do you suggest we do that?" Lucas challenged, cocking an eyebrow.

"Easy," Brandon replied. "There's more than two sides to every story, Lucas. There's your side, and there's Maya's side…but there's also Riley's side, and that's the way you play it," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Are you serious? You want us to revive the Triangle?" Riley gasped.

"I thought you said that it was a bad idea to remind people that I used to date Riley," Lucas mocked.

"No, he's right…actually, he's a genius," Maya said. "We show everybody that I didn't just steal you away from Riley. We show everybody that what we have is something they could never really understand. We make sure that nobody can say anything negative about the two of us being together, because it'll make it impossible for Missy and Billy to try to ruin our campaign and taint our relationship."

"They've got a point, Lucas," Riley said softly.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Riley?" Lucas asked.

"I think it's good that we talk about it. And…well…it's something that we all need, Lucas, and I think it's the best way for me to figure out my own mess of a life," she flashed him one of those honest smiles that she had mastered through the years.

It was the type of smile that always made it so obvious to everybody that Riley was speaking in the best interest of those around her. She wasn't trying to sway their opinions-but she wanted them to know that what she thought should happen was exactly what needed to be done. And Lucas had come to trust that smile more than anything else when it came to any important decisions in is life.

And protecting his relationship with Maya was one of the most important decisions that he would ever make in his life.

So, if it meant that he had to get people talking about the Triangle all over again, so be it. If it would ensure that everybody knew that there wasn't a bad guy in the situation, and if it would help Riley find peace with everything conflicting inside of her, he would do it. After all, he had sworn long ago to never hurt either of those girls, because he wanted to protect them. He wanted to help any of them, as much as he could, because they were the most important people in his life.

Riley was his sister, and Maya was the love of his life.

And if either of them ever stopped being happy, it meant that Lucas had failed in his role in their life. Therefore, he was going to do whatever was asked of him, no matter how against it he was internally.

* * *

Brandon hadn't been expecting them to agree to his idea. He had never imagined that they would think that his idea was actually a good idea.

He had actually only suggested it because he hadn't wanted to sit there for an interview process. He hadn't wanted to have to help Riley with the photo layout around Riley's perfectly structured interview lines.

What he hadn't been expecting, was that they would listen to what he had to say. And he definitely hadn't expected that they would look at him and ask him if he would take some more pictures, so that they could include Riley in them, to make a little bit more sense with the article that Riley would be writing.

So, there he was, with his camera set up all over again. There he was, taking pictures of Lucas with Maya on his back, holding a crippled Riley. Taking pictures of Lucas standing between Riley and Maya, with Riley leaning against him for support, while Maya was tucked into his side, kissing his cheek. Pictures of the three of them in various goofy poses.

All pictures that showed that the three of them were still the best of friends. All pictures to show that Riley was more than okay with Lucas and Maya and their relationship. All pictures that made Brandon sit through another hour of watching the two of them together, in their adorable fashion, while he had to try not to act like the jealous bastard that he was.

He knew that he had to hold it in, because it was the only way that Maya would let him stay in her life. If he wanted any role in her life at all, he had to continue to play the role that he had been assigned since their very first conversation with one another. And, maybe one day, if he was incredibly lucky, Lucas would mess up and he would have his chance.

He could be her shoulder to cry on, to console her after Lucas broke her heart. And, eventually, he was sure that if he was the one to pick up the pieces for her, she would fall in love with him the same way that he had already fallen in love with her, so long ago.

He had to be strong.

Hold it together for a few more pictures, and then he wasn't going to have to stick around and watch Lucas and Maya up close and personal.

After this horrible series of miserable events reached its conclusion, he would be able to sit there with Maya and enjoy their back-and-forth banter. He could flirt with her as much as he wanted to, while she acted oblivious to the idea of his interest. They could have the friendship that had made Brandon have any shred of hope that he could ever be truly happy, and Brandon could continue to bide his time.

Of course, he could have actually meant his promise to help Billy and Missy.

He knew that helping them would speed up the process for his perfect moment with Maya, but he couldn't bring himself to be the cause of her pain, just so that he could be the one to fix everything for her.

It wouldn't be justified.

And it would mean that he didn't deserve her. He wouldn't be worthy of her, because he would have broken her heart just so that he could try to mend the pieces that were left together. And that wasn't what somebody did when they truly loved somebody.

"Brandon?"

Maya's deep, sultry voice sounded like it was right in his ear as he was folding up his tripod to pack it up with the rest of his camera. He paused, tilting his head slightly so that he could see her, without fully facing her.

When she was this close to him, he knew that it would be impossible for him to try to keep his feelings a secret.

"What's up, Hart?" He wondered, flashing her that half grin.

"Thank you," Maya said, tugging her hair out of her ponytail. "For all of this, and…well, Riley told me about what Billy and Missy asked you to do, and I just wanted to thank you for what you're doing. It means a lot to me," She flashed him a smile, running her hand through her curls to tousle them around.

And that smile was enough for Brandon, at least for now.

It reminded him that everything that he was doing was more than worth it, because it meant that Maya was going to look at him like he was special. Like he was important to her.

For the first time, he felt like he was somebody's hero and he loved it, because Maya Hart was the only person who ever managed to make him feel that way. She always had a way of making Brandon feel like he was so much more than he really was, and that was how he knew that he could never give up on her. He could never just lose hope that they would be together, eventually.

If he lost that, he would be every bit as hopeless as Maya Hart had felt, back in middle school, when she sat there and watched her best friend fall in love with the boy of her dreams. Just as hopeless as a lost little blonde girl, who thought she didn't deserve love or happiness, or anything good in life, just because of the unfortunate hand that she had been dealt earlier in life.

"Anything for you, Hart," Brandon said, zipping up the bag that held his tripod and swinging it onto his shoulder.

"Seriously, thank you," Maya said again, wrapping her arms around him in a hug, and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, that barely constituted as a kiss as her lips just barely glided past his skin.

And that made the pain of watching her with Lucas even more worth it, and he wasn't able to fight the real smile that began to spread across his face as she hurried back towards Lucas, grabbing his hand and leaning against him, heading off back towards the school together.


End file.
